Ella
by Judo Chick
Summary: A sister in the Eppes household. Writers block over.
1. Chapter 1

David and Colby entered the office and sat down at their desks with Megan leaning on Colby's desk. They had all just gotten into the office and were waiting for Don who was in the director's office. It was just before lunch, they were working a simple string of robberies and the urgency wasn't there, so they all hoped they were going to get a break to eat.

Colby had tuned out while David and Megan talked about suspect profiles, his interest peaked when a young woman walked into the bullpen. Her blue dress shirt was splayed over a pair of dress pants where an FBI badge sat clipped slightly covered by the un-tucked shirt, her blond curly hair hanging around her shoulders she stood out in the mess of suits it seemed to be FBI policy to wear a suit. Colby followed her, as she looked around the office in no particular pattern. She was lost and looking incredibly intimidated. Colby stood up and walked towards her. He wasn't contributing to David and Megan's conversation so he decided to help her find what she was looking for. She did not seem to notice his approach due to the fact that her back was turned. "Can I help you?" he asked while her back was still turned.

There was no response from her until she turned around and made eye contact with him but did not say anything.

"Can I help you?" he asked again.

The woman focussed on Colby's face for a moment and then nodded her head yes. She paused for a moment and then held up a PDA. Across the screen it read 'Special Agent Don Eppes'.

Colby found it very strange but saw Don coming out of the director's office. "Yes, he's right over there," Colby said pointing across the office.

The girl held up the PDA again it said 'Thank-you' across the screen and then headed off in Don's direction. Colby watched her head off across the office. As soon as she caught Don's attention Colby noticed the expression on Don's face change. David and Megan also noticed the interaction between Don and the girl and picked their heads up.

Don smiled and walked quickly across the room. When they reached each other he enveloped her in a hug lifting her up off the ground. "Ella what are you doing here?" Don asked while also moving his hands in odd directions. The girl didn't respond she just continued moving her hands in front of her body motioning mostly towards Don. "No, no it's good to see you. This is a great surprise," Don said like he was responding to something Ella was saying without her speech. Ella's hands continued to move and Don continued to respond. "I'm a little busy but yeah, we could get lunch. Hold on there are some people I want you to meet." Don put his hand around Ella's waist leading her over to where Megan, David and Colby were; he stood beside them and across from Ella. "This is M-E-G-A-N, D-A-V-I-D, and C-O-L-B-Y," Don said moving his hands. "Guys this is my sister, Ella, she just transferred from Washington."

Don's team looked shocked but responded with polite 'hello's' and 'nice to meet you's' went all around.

"Nice to meet you, Don has told me a lot about you," Ella said her speech slightly off the norm.

Don paused for a minute allowing his introduction to sink in. "The director is pushing this off to the robbery division so we're actually going to get lunch today. I'll see you back here at one."

Don's team smiled, got up and headed to the elevator. Once sealed inside the elevator Colby spoke up. "I didn't know Don had a sister."

"I don't think anyone did," Megan said pushing the 'G' button.

"You saw that right, with the hands," Colby replied as the elevator descended.

"Well Don doesn't talk much about his personal life. We probably wouldn't even know Charlie if he didn't do so much consulting for the bureau," David added stepping out of the elevator.

After they returned from lunch they saw that Don and Ella hadn't moved from the break room. Don didn't miss a beat with the movement of his hands, he talked as well as signed, and Ella signed slower allowing Don to follow. Megan walked in to grab a bottle of water she smiled not wanting to disrupt them. "Okay sweetie, I've got to get back to work. Call me when you're finished getting briefed by Brooks." Don smiled at Megan and headed out into the bullpen. "David, Colby I need you to head out to Charlie's office." Don handed then a file. "Also can you do me a favour and take Ella down to the forth floor, " Don didn't want to seem like he was big brothering his little sister by taking her down himself.

"Sure no problem," Colby said with a nod. "David why don't you grab the car I'll take her down."

Don rubbed his hand under his chin pensively as he watched Colby lead his sister away. He'd seen the look Colby had given Ella before with over women. He had also seen Ella bite her lip when she was nervous in front of a cute boy. The whole thing made him more nervous than the fact that his little sister worked for the FBI. However both he and Ella were both very independent and he knew that he didn't like to be protected and neither did she.

"I'm sorry I answered you on my PDA earlier, I get nervous talking," Ella said once she and Colby got into elevator and the doors closed.

"It's okay. So you're…" Colby didn't want to make any assumptions.

"Deaf," Ella said with a smile. "I read lips."

"And you're FBI?"

"Surveillance Specialist," Ella said as the elevator doors opened on the fourth floor.

"She sure is," Special Agent Jeff Brooks said meeting Colby and Ella at the elevator. "It's taken me three years to pull her away from Washington. Don called down and said you were on your way," Jeff smiled and began signing. "It is great to have you Ella."

"Thank-you." Ella said with the corresponding sign. "Thanks Colby."

"Very nice to meet you," Colby said before getting back on the elevator and headed down to the parking garage. He quickly jumped into the car where David was waiting.

"So you get her number?" David asked pulling out of the garage.

Colby looked at his partner shocked. "Okay that is just an unfair generalization."

"You don't think she's cute?" David asked taking a left hand turn.

"She's Don's sister."

"Yeah, strange we've never heard of her especially since she works for the Bureau," David said. "What department does she work for?"

"Surveillance, she reads lips. She's deaf."

"Ah so that was what she and Don were up to with the hand signal, I wondered about that." David pulled the car onto the freeway. "Is that why you didn't asked for her number?" David and Colby were very close otherwise he wouldn't have asked such a pointed question.

"No," Colby shot back. "Listen I've dated enough people's sister's to know that I don't want to be caught up with my boss's. Now can we just drop it?"

"Sure," David replied. The rest of the following car ride was carried out in silence; Colby didn't want to admit to his partner that he was instantly attracted to Ella the moment she walked out of the elevator. This attraction was quickly crushed upon finding out she was the littlest Eppes. However he was finding it hard to shake her smile from his memory. David parked the car at Cal Sci and the two made their way to Charlie's office. "Hey Charlie Don sent us over with this data we were wondering if you could take a look at it for us," David said as he handed the founder over once they reached Charlie's office.

"Yeah Don called a head, let me take a look." Charlie said grabbing the file.

"So what's the deal with Ella?" Colby asked taking the darts off the board to play with.

"Yeah Don mentioned she got transferred," Charlie said looking through the file.

"Who's Ella?" Amita who was sitting at Charlie's desk asked.

Charlie took a deep breath and sighed. "Ella is my… sister," he said.

"Sister!?" Amita stood up and looked angry. "How did you not tell me you had a sister?"

Charlie looked down. "Ella and I don't really get along very well." Charlie was not proud of the relationship, or lack of relationship he had with his younger sister. "Ella's deaf and we were kids, and I was well I was me. My family learned sign language and I…well I did math," he said while still looking at the file. "Ella's a little stubborn and she never liked that I didn't learn."

"But she reads lips and speaks," Colby observed coming from the limited contact he had with her.

"Yes, but Ella prefers not to speak. She learned to because she can read lips but she can't hear herself and she knows she sounds different," Charlie paused and looked up from the file. "The last time we talked she said that I should have enough respect for her to learn sign." Charlie looked tense and uncomfortable now that he had divulged so much information. "Listen guys this is going to take a while, so I'll call you when I have something."

"Okay, thanks Charlie," David said before he and Colby exited the office. Both could feel the tension Amita was giving off over the whole Ella thing and were happy to escape.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I had a sister," Charlie said sitting on the edge of the desk next to Amita who was refusing to make eye contact. "Ella is very vocal with her rage whereas Don is not. Ella got really angry with me when our mom was sick. After that she took a job in Washington and we haven't talked since. Please you have to understand that I was not intentionally keeping this from you."

Amita finally looked up and made eye contact with Charlie. "I think we should learn American Sign."

"We?" Charlie asked.

"Together," Amita said. "For your sister."

Megan and Don got onto the elevator to head back up to the office. On their way up the elevator stopped at the fourth floor, the door opened revealing Ella. Ella stepped onto the elevator and signed to Don. "I should be done at eight," Don replied looking at his watch. "Oh, it is eight. Your meeting took that long?" Don spoke but he also signed, he felt a little bad for Megan who seemed left out. Ella continued to sign but also made the effort to smile at Megan. "Okay well give me an hour and then we'll call it a night," Don replied. "Ella is moving in with me," Don said to Megan but signed for Ella's benefit.

"Really?" Megan was fascinated by Don and Ella's relationship. "You think you can put up with him Ella?" she asked.

Ella laughed and signed to Don. "Haha, you are both sooo funny. She says she's that if you can do it she can."

Megan smiled, "I like you."

"I'm glad," Ella responded out loud as they walked into the office. "David, Colby nice to see you again." Ella said with a nod as she approached the desk area.

"All right El why don't you grab a coffee and I'll grab you when we're done," Don said pointing to the break room. Ella nodded and headed off. "Okay so what do we have?"

"Apartment was leased to an alias, paid cash," Colby said dropping a file down.

"We talked to the neighbours they all say the same average white guy, quiet," David added flipping through his notebook. "Charlie called, said he would have something by tomorrow."

"Well I say that's where we start as well," Don said picking up a case folder. "I'll go brief the director, you guys go home and get some sleep I'll meet you back here in the morning." Don left his team and disappeared into the back office.

"Well boys, goodnight," Megan said quickly gathering her coat and purse. It was rare to finish work at a decent hour and she was going to take full advantage.

"You want to grab a beer?" David asked Colby.

"No I've got some paper work to finish up, then I'm hitting the hay," Colby said with a smile. "Thanks for the offer, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright man, see ya," David said before heading out.

Colby smiled and walked into the break room to grab a cup of coffee. Ella was sitting on the couch with an Ipod touch and a notebook; she looked up when the door clicked sending a vibration through the floor. "Would you like some coffee?" Colby said holding up the pot.

Ella shook her head 'no', her hair was now tied up in a messy bun.

"What are you up to?" Colby asked sitting down next to her making sure that he turned towards her.

"Working," Ella replied closing her notebook. "Stopping now." Ella found it very difficult to do two things at once.

"The Bureau pay for that?" Colby asked pointing to the Ipod.

"My boss in Washington gave it to me before I left… so I can still work for him," Ella explained.

"So are you the youngest?" Colby asked. He was procrastinating his backlog of paperwork was not enticing.

Ella nodded. "Five years under Charlie, ten under Don." Ella signed while she talked it was a force of habit.

"Wow!" Colby wasn't a genius like Charlie but he did the math in his head coming to the conclusion that Ella was much younger than he was. Not that it mattered, they were just talking, "You and Don get along?"

"Better than Charlie and I," Ella said rolling her eyes. "Growing up it was all about Charlie," she explained. "Don and I fended for ourselves…Don took care of me."

"Yeah and I still do," Don said walking in giving Colby a look. "You ready to go?" he asked his hands flying along.

Ella nodded. "Goodnight Colby," she said before they left.

"Now don't go dating my agents there sis," Don said as he and Ella walked to the elevator making sure he was far out of anyone who could hear ears shot. Ella's hands flew into a frenzy when the elevator doors closed and didn't stop till they opened on the ground floor. "Well I was just kidding about the dating thing but now… I'm a little worried." Don pointed to over where the car was. "I called dad, told him I had a surprise for him tonight."

Ella stopped short and looked down at her feet.

"Ella…" Don said lifting Ella's chin so that he would look her in the eye. "How is dad going to feel when I'm the first person you come to see?"

Ella shrugged.

"For me?" he asked while remotely unlocking his SUV. Ella rolled her eyes before getting into the passenger's side. "For mom?" Ella's eyes focused sharply on her brother's face as she signed 'please repeat.' "For mom," Don said again signing this time as well.

"Cheap shot," Ella said aloud playfully punching Don in the arm. "Okay." Once her mother died Ella had stopped thinking of the house as her family home. It reminded her too much of her mom's last days, when she would curl up with Don on her parents bed with her mom, just to be there with her. Once they reached the house Ella stood still on the walkway, the house looked much bigger than she remembered. Don gave her a little shove with his shoulder and gestured to the door. "Fine!" Ella yelled throwing her hands into the air.

Don laughed putting his key into the door. He wrapped his arm around Ella's shoulder while opening the door. "Hey Dad! It smells great!" Don yelled kicking his shoes off and hanging up his jacket.

"Donny! Just in time the chicken is almost ready and I just pulled the corn off the…" Allan stopped dead when he reached the foyer where his eldest and youngest stood side-by-side. Without a word wrapped his arms around Ella and enveloped her in a hug. "This is a wonderful surprise," Allan said while signing. "What are you doing here?"

Ella sprang into a long explanation with her hands caught up in all her nervous energy.

"Eleanor, honey, too fast," Allan laughed over the excitement of not having to converse with his daughter over email or video conference.

Ella smiled. "I've been transfer to L.A. from Washington," Ella said aloud. After living alone in Washington she learned not to be as self-conscious about her speech. She was a little intimidated starting her new job, but around her family she was attempting something new.

"With the FBI?" Allan asked.

"Yes," Ella nodded while she slipped her shoes off. "Washington is stressful, plus I miss the beach."

Allan found himself overwhelmed with emotion as he hugged his daughter again. "Okay, come in, come in. I've got tons of food. Charlie, Larry and Amita should be here any minute now."

Don had heard what Allan had said but his back was turned as he headed back into the kitchen. He hadn't turned away from Ella on purpose, it was a habit formed from not having her around as much. Don signed to Ella as they followed their father into the kitchen, he would remind him about it later.

Allan pulled plates out of the cupboard and handed them to Don who disappeared into dining room. "What can I do to help?" Ella asked.

"You can put the peas on the table…and meet your brother at the door," Allan said when he heard the door open.

Ella headed out of the kitchen, placed the bowl of peas on the table and then headed back out into the main foyer to find Charlie, Larry, and a women whom Ella assumed was Amita. "Charlie!" Ella said jumping into her brother's arms, a very uncharacteristic move for Ella. "Larry, good to see you again. You must be Amita, you're all I hear about in Charlie's emails talk about."

"It's good to finally meet you," Amita responded. She was caught slightly off guard by Ella, she wasn't really sure what to expect but she presumed it would be different then it was.

"Okay the food is getting cold!" Allan called from the kitchen. Charlie turned Ella around and put his fingers to his mouth, showing her that it was time for dinner.

Don made sure that he sat across from Ella. He barely had a chance to eat because he spent most of the meal signing to Ella so she could follow along while everyone talked. When there were more than two people talking Ella had trouble reading lips because she couldn't follow the auditory conversation cue. Don didn't want Ella to get overwhelmed on her first night but at the same time had troubled signing Charlie, Larry and Amita's 'math' talk. When it came up Don signed 'math' and tried to eat his dinner.

Ella spoke answering the questioned passed to her but spent most of the night following Don's hands and was very thankful for it.

"Okay," Don said after the table was cleared much later in the evening. "Ella and I've got work tomorrow so we should probably get going." Ella nodded agreeing with her brother's statement.

"You're staying with Don?" Charlie asked.

"She's taking my spare bedroom," Don said putting his jacket on.

"You know you are always welcome to stay here," Charlie offered to his sister.

"I know…but I think living with Don will be better…someone has to watch out for him." Ella didn't want to admit that she didn't even think she could walk upstairs without having a total break down over their mother's death. She was surprised she had stayed composed up to this point.

"Okay, good to see you, don't be a stranger," Charlie said while hugging Ella.

"Drive safe," Allan said before they headed out.

Don drove the way home in silence. Part of the reason he and Ella got along so well was their understanding of the importance and liking of silence. "I need a beer," Don announced shifting a box out of his way so he could kick off his shoes. Ella had shipped most of her belongings prior to her arrival and still hadn't gotten unpacked. Ella collapsed on the couch and gratefully accepted the beer her brother passed her. "Cheers," Don said sitting down next to her, and turned on the TV. After about an hour Ella stood up, kissed Don on the side of the cheek and went into her room.

Don awoke to the smell of coffee early in the morning. He wasn't used to the sound of another person in his apartment. He stumbled sleepily down the hall into the kitchen where Ella was sitting on the counter eating cereal. She laughed running her hand through Don's messy hair and then poured him a cup of coffee. She was fully dress in black pleated pants and a pink collared shirt. "You look nice," Don said pulling a bowl out of the cupboard.

"I know," Ella said jumping down off the counter. "I've got to go."

"Wait…I can give you a ride," Don offered. Ella signed to her brother while he searched for a clean spoon. "Well I know you have your own car."

"Plus you're a work-a-holic, if I go with you I may never leave," Ella added.

"Okay, have a good day sweetie."

Ella waved goodbye and headed down to the parking garage. Ella loved being back in L.A. Washington roods were horrible to navigate. Whereas before it took her an hour to get to work now it was half that and much more relaxing. Also the L.A. FBI bureau had more parking. Ella locked her car and headed for the elevator. The doors began to close and Ella ran to catch it, she wouldn't have made it a suited arm hadn't stuck out to hold the door.

"Thanks…Colby, Hi!" Ella was surprised to run into Colby knowing Don would leave the apartment for at least another ten minutes. "You're in early. Don was still half asleep when I left."

"Yeah, usually it takes me longer to get in from my house I got lucky with the traffic today," Colby said pressing button '9' and then '4' for Ella.

"Colby… you have to look at me when you talk," Ella responded touching Colby's arm so he turned towards her. She saw his lips moving from the side for a brief moment but then he turned fully away and she hardly caught any of what he was saying.

Colby felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I was saying that traffic was in my favour today."

"Much better, thank-you." Ella held tightly on to purse and travel-mug resisting the urge to sign. It was a habit, put Ella was determined not to be labelled her that 'deaf chick' as it unfortunately happened in Washington. For once she was attempting normal, normal with a little flirting. "Well this is my floor," Ella said as the doors opened. "Have a great day."

"You too," Colby replied making sure to look right at Ella while he said it. Once the doors of the elevator closed he banged his head on them. "Don's sister, Don's sister," he repeated to himself till he reached the ninth floor.

"You bring your own coffee?" Special Agent Jeff Brooks said sitting down at his desk across from Ella. "I make the coffee here and I have to say I'm a little offended."

"Sorry boss," Ella laughed taking a sip from her cup. Jeff Brooks had worked with Ella in Washington when she first moved out there. He was a great FBI agent and excelled in surveillance techniques, he and Ella hit it off from the start. Ella had even begun teaching him to read lips before he got transferred to LA. Once he had become established he began working on getting Ella transferred as well. In this time he had also picked up a book on American Sign and began teaching himself. He tried not to pull it out when the office was full of people but it was helpful in giving instructions to Ella from a distance, surveillance agents were sneaky like that.

"You got anything off that tape?" Brooks asked referring to the conversation Ella had up on her laptop.

"I've transcribed the conversation. They use a lot of code words." Ella tossed a USB drive to her boss.

Brooks immediately popped the drive into his computer. "So you settling in okay?" Jeff Brooks had grown up on a farm in Montana with two younger sisters both of whom now lived outside of the United States. Before he learned that Ella was moving in with her FBI Agent brother he had offered to let her stay with him and his wife.

"Yes," Ella rolled her eyes slightly. "You're almost as bad as my brother."

"Yeah. Why didn't you mention your brother when we worked together in Washington?" Brooks sent off Ella's notes to the code department via email."

"As you may have recalled I didn't talk to anyone when we worked together in Washington," Ella replied pulling up yet another video file she had to look at that day.

"You talked to me." Brooks laughed, he remember the day fondly when Ella became so frustrated with him constantly talking she opened her mouth and told him to 'shut up'.

"I'm getting back to work now sir," Ella said turning back to her computer. Ella didn't want to talk about Washington; she was trying to make a fresh start.

Ella finished her day out in silence getting work done fast. At five she informed Brooks, to his surprise she had finished everything he had given her for the week, and that she was leaving. She didn't go straight home, Don had no food in his house so she stopped off at the grocery store and loaded up on food. Once she got home, it seemed strange to call Don's apartment 'home', she unloaded the groceries into the fridge and the cupboard and then went on to unpacking her boxes.

Don managed to drag himself out of the office at ten. When he got home he was surprised to see that all of Ella's boxes were out of the living room and a big bowl of fruit on the counter. He was about to call out to Ella but stopped himself reminding himself that she was not Charlie, instead he poked his head inside of her bedroom. He stomped his foot on the floor to alert Ella he was there. When she turned around he spoke, "There is food in my kitchen. There is never food in my kitchen."

"You're not going to kick me out for buying groceries, are you?"

"No. It's great." Don looked around Ella's room, it was weird to see the empty room full of his sister's stuff. There were lot of pictures, her surfboard, and her bicycle hooked against the wall. "How was work?"

"Good. You?"

"About the same." Don paused and sat down on Ella's bed. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure thing," Ella said sitting down across from Don. "Ask me anything." Ella felt like she and Don had grown apart. The age gap made it difficult to be close in the first place and living on opposite ends of the country hadn't helped matters.

"You don't sign anymore," Don stated point blank.

Ella looked down slightly ashamed at the implication of Don's question.

"I just remember my little sister who never spoke a word. I'm wondering what's changed." Don took a seat on the edge of Ella's bed.

"Don…" Ella didn't know how to start. "I spent my whole life either at LA school of the deaf or at the house and when mom died and I moved to Washington I learned the world wasn't as forgiving." Ella sat down next to Don on her bed. "I love ASL mostly within the deaf community. Outside I just want to be normal. Do you understand?"

"As the one that is considered to be the 'normal' one in the family I think I do." Don paused and formed his words carefully. "You have your life in and out of the deaf community."

"Yeah," Ella nodded. "You just sort of fit in the middle."

Don smiled. Another mystery solved by Special Agent Don Eppes. "Speaking of your life…" Don began. "What are you up to tonight looking all fancy?" Ella raised her eyebrow. She placed her left hand in her right hand and then pulled it out making the sign for 'out'. "Oh so now you're signing."

Ella smiled. "Don't wait up," she said grabbing her purse and keys.

"Have fun. Not too much fun." Don said but Ella was already out the door.

Don grabbed a beer from the fridge and what looked to be leftover stir-fry and plopped down on the couch turning on the hockey game. After a long day it didn't take him long to start nodding off, once he finished his beer he managed to get just comfortable enough to fall asleep.

The short buzz followed by a shrill ring caused Don to wake shortly after 1am. "Eppes," he answered rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be right there." Don took a peak into Ella's room, she wasn't there so he locked the door and headed out. He reached the Bureau in record time and headed up to the office. "Okay what do we have?" Don asked. The bullpen was a furry of excitement and nervous energy.

"Hostage situation at a club downtown," Megan said passing Don a file. "The surveillance team has fed the video from the club into the conference room. There is no sound, Ella is looking at it right now."

Don rubbed his eyes. "Ella is here?"

"Yeah, got here before you did, looking fancy." Megan smiled and passed Don a cup of coffee. "David and Colby are on the scene along with a surveillance tech and SWAT. The club is dark, no windows so they can't get a shot, but there is are numerous entrances and exits."

"How many?" Don asked guzzling the lukewarm coffee Megan had given him.

"Lets go see what Ella has," Megan said leading the way to the conference room.

Ella was sitting at her computer with the video feed on the plasma. She had tossed an FBI sweater over her low-cut top so she wouldn't attract any unwanted attention while she worked but there was nothing she could do to cover her tight jeans. She was fast-forward and rewinding the tape completely oblivious to the action behind her. Don stepped into her line of vision getting her attention. "What do you have?"

"Three guys, semiautomatic weapons," Ella began. She brought up the faces of the three in ski masks, the assailants had made it much easier to read their lips by wearing the black masks however it didn't help much when it came to identifying them. Ella pulled the pictures up one at a time. "This is Ryan, he swears a lot, and he is also the one calling the shots. Kirk, he has accent, and he said the work trousers so I think he is British. Which brings me to nervous guy, no one has said his name but he's really twitchy and has already shot one of the bouncers." Ella paused and brought up what looked like the beginning of the situation. "They start off normal: Get on the ground…nobody move…shut up…Cell phones, watches, wallets. They separate the men from the women and plastic cuff the bouncers, one resisted, nervous guy popped him in the arm but I think he'll be okay."

"Have they said what they wanted?" Don asked.

Ella took a minute to look at the live feed just to make sure she wasn't missing anything, when this was determined she turned back to her brother. "They are talking about elves," Ella bit down on her lip.

"Elves?" Don asked not wanting to question his sister's ability outright.

"The club was been reserved for the birthday of an oil tycoon's daughter. If I had to make a guess I think they are the Earth Liberation Front. They are ranting about the destruction of the planet, SUV use, Hummers. Ryan is yelling that they should exterminate them like they do the rain forest. They are on the FBI's domestic terrorist list."

"Okay, good job. Megan… suggestion?" Don asked.

"Eco-terrorist tend to like publicity but they also have a non-violent history, mainly they like to burn down housing developments and car dealerships. Offer them news coverage for their surrender. I'll try and do some more digging."

"Good, I'm going to head out to the scene." Don waved his hand in front of Ella to get her attention. "You get anything and you tell Megan." Ella nodded and Don was gone in a flash.

Megan looked at her watch, it was approaching 5am, and little progress had been made. Ella continued to watch the feed but that only led to confirmation of what they already knew, that they were a rouge part of ELF. Outside the club Don had managed to get a phone line into the captures and talked briefly to Ryan, enough to know that it was going to take a while. Ryan demanded that the United States government stop all its importation of foreign oil, taking the crazy approach where there wasn't much even a skilled negotiator could do. Megan took notice when Ella walked right up to the plasma and stood very close to it for more than a minute.

Ella turned around quickly and without thinking began frantically signing towards Megan. When she saw the blank and confused look on Megan's face she stopped immediately. "Sorry."

"What is it?" Megan asked knowing that Ella's show wasn't for no good reason.

"They are going to kill the tycoon's daughter."

Megan stood up and walked over to where Ella was standing. "Are you sure?"

Ella nodded. "Ryan tells Kirk he wants to go down in a hail of bullets and he is going to take the 'princess' with him."

Megan dialled number one on her speed dial, Don, "They are going to start shooting, it's time to hit it." Megan and Ella watched in the conference room as SWAT went into the club. They both held their breath until it was over; it took less than four minutes. Only one of the hostage takers was killed in the scuffle no one else was hurt.

Don returned to the FBI with David and Colby in tow. "Megan did you talk to Homeland?" he asked before he sat down.

"Yes, the Bureau is passing the case off, they are rounding up anyone associated with ELF for questioning and picking up the two we have in custody" Megan replied passing Don yet another file.

Don rubbed his eyes wearily and looked at his watch; 6:30am. "Okay everyone reports and then get out of here, I'll see you tomorrow morning." The one thing about the FBI was the hours tended to suck even with the little nap he had Don was still beat which gave him an approximation on how his sister was feeling as she typed her report at a nearby desk. "Is that my sweater?" he asked leaning against the desk in front of her.

"I figured you wouldn't mind," Ella said with a smile. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Don was not a man of many words but to Ella his eyes spoke volumes.

Ella smiled and nodded knowing that Don wasn't but really didn't want to talk about it right then and there. "I need a ride home," she announced.

"I've got to debrief the director and then we are out of here."

Don's team and Ella all got in the elevator together to head down to the parking garage. "Your not tired?" Don asked his sister stemming from a question she asked before the others had joined them.

"Yes but I'm still going to go," Ella announced with a shrug. "You should come too."

"It's not my thing El," Don asserted. "Sleeping, now there is an activity."

"Okay then can I borrow your truck? My surf board doesn't really fit in my car."

"No." David, Colby and Megan were standing in the back of the elevator enjoying the sibling show being presented to them in the elevator. "You only want to use my truck so you don't get your car full of sand."

The elevator door opened up and everyone exited into the garage. "If you come with me we can take my car," Ella offered.

David passed Colby a little glance and winked before he ran ahead and got Ella's attention. "You know Colby has been trying to learn how to surf."

Ella turned around to Colby. "Want to come?" she asked raising an eyebrow. The question just popped out of her mouth, she asked mainly because she really didn't want to go alone, but also because she knew it would drive Don slightly up the wall.

Colby lived close to the Bureau and went to sleep as soon as he had gotten there the previous night so he was feeling pretty well rested and still fully alert from the excitement. However Colby didn't know how to respond to the question. He played basketball with Don and David and occasionally went running with Megan, but he wasn't attracted to any of them.

Don noticed Colby's pause and spoke up. "You know you can't get a better teacher than Ella. She pretty much moved back to LA to surf," he said. Don was seeing many different sides of his sister and the branching out was a very different side that he'd figured he'd encourage it. Colby was a decent guy and he trusted him.

"Sounds fun," Colby responded.

"Great. Manhattan Beach in an hour?" Ella asked with a smile.

Colby nodded. "I'll see you there."

"Don's sister, Don's sister," Colby repeated his mantra as he walked down the beach towards Ella in his wetsuit.

"You made it," Ella smiled as she zipped up her own suit.

"I have to warn you I really suck," Colby said. He tried his best not to focus on the tightness of Ella's suit and how it hugged her frame perfectly. He lifted his board in front of him. "So you really are a California girl. I think you are the first person I've met from here who actually surfs."

Colby looked up at Ella to a confused look. "Colby…" she started moving his surf board out of the way. "You have to look at me when you speak."

Colby hit his hand to his forehead. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting." Colby was nervous and had reverted to not looking the pretty girl in the eye, which usually worked but today it was a huge barrier.

"It's okay." Ella breathed in the air and looked out to the ocean waves almost loosing herself.

After an hour and a half of really good surfing Ella began to feel the effects of her early morning at the FBI and the fact that she had been without sleep for over twenty-four hours. Because of this her surfing began to suffer and she began getting tossed around by the waves as much as Colby was. Ella had given Colby a quick rundown on the beach and then explained that she never knew when to raise her voice to make herself heard over the rushing 

sound of water, so the rest of the lesson was done through demonstration something Ella excelled at. She was unsure if she was getting worse or Colby was getting better when she watch Colby ride out a wave when she fell. They both headed into the beach shortly after because it was beginning to become more crowded as the day began for those who hadn't been at work at 2am.

"This was fun," Colby said grabbing his towel.

"It was," Ella smiled. "You've got…" Ella picked a piece of seaweed off the back of Colby's neck.

"Thanks," Colby laughed, which was then followed by a very awkward silence. "Um, I'd really like to do this again sometime soon," Colby said making sure that he made eye contact.

"Well I plan to be out here every Tuesday and Thursday morning before work," Ella explained unzipping her wetsuit. "Usually from six to seven."

Colby tried not to yet his jaw drop due to the fact that Ella was now standing in front of him in a sports bikini. "That works. I'm determined to get the hang of this." 'God she's beautiful,' he thought to himself. "But I'm beat. See you around the office?"

"Or on the beach," Ella responded grabbing her board and walking off to her car. She looked back once to see that Colby was looking back at her. "He works with Don, he works with Don she repeated in her head as she put her board into her car and headed out.

Ella got back to the apartment to find Don in the kitchen making a sandwich. "How was it?" he asked tossing her a water bottle from the fridge.

Ella raised both her palms and pushed them towards the ceiling a few times, the sign for fantastic. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Nah," Don shook his head. "I went out for a run."

Ella yawned. "I think I'm going to sleep till one and then go over to the house to pull home stuff out of storage."

"Sounds good," Don replied. "I'm going to sleep soon too, then I've got a meeting with my shrink." Don had previously told Ella he was seeing a therapist which she encouraged knowing all to well the stress of his job. "Hey good work today kiddo."

"Don't call me kiddo."

Charlie returned home to find his father doing the crossword puzzle in the living room. He was startled from a loud bang that came from the garage and confused as to why his father wasn't altered by the noise. "Didn't you hear that?" Charlie asked.

"Oh," Allan looked up from his puzzle. "That's your sister. She's looking for some boxes she left when she moved to Washington. Maybe you could give her a hand."

Charlie nodded and headed out to the garage where he found Ella standing on a ladder trying to get into the rafters where there were a few boxes. She looked down briefly to see Charlie looking up at her. "Hey," she said sitting herself on the rafter above.

"What are you looking for?" Charlie asked. He had rearranged the garage so many times he knew how to find anything.

"It's embarrassing," Ella said.

As soon as Ella said that Charlie knew exactly what she was looking for. "He's upstairs El. I found him in a box a while back and really didn't think he belonged there."

Ella smiled before getting out of the rafters and following Charlie upstairs to his room. It had been ages since she had been up there and tried to not look down the hall to her parents' bedroom, 'baby steps' she thought to herself. She found Charlie's room about the same as she remembered. He had gotten a bigger bed, most likely because of Amita, but everything else was as she recalled. On a chair sitting by the closet was an old green stuffed elephant with a purple ribbon around his neck. Ella smiled and picked him up. "I know it's dumb but I missed having him around."

"It's not dumb," Charlie said sitting on his bed. "Ella…" Charlie didn't know how to start. "When I found your elephant in the garage I realized that I didn't even know what you called it." Charlie paused again, stood up and walked across the room sitting on the windowsill. "And then I started thinking; I don't know your favourite colour, food, what you like to read and I can barely sign my own name. I can't even finger spell. You're my sister and I really know nothing about you." Charlie was always emotional and his little rant almost had him in tears.

Ella went and sat down next to him and took his left hand in hers. She curved her right hand and held it to her nose and then moved it slowly down bumping slightly as she went. "That's the sign for elephant, he really doesn't have a name. And I put up a lot of those barriers when I refused to talk to you even though I could."

"I wish we were closer," Charlie admitted.

"Pink."

"Excuse me?" Charlie asked.

"My favourite colour is pink," Ella said. She put her thumb and middle finger together with her index pointing up and brought the connected fingers to her lips and pulled it down. "That is the sign for pink. I could eat raspberries for the rest of my life, I like to read biographies and I wish we were closer too. I think it's just a matter of us trying harder. You and Don are so much better than you used to be."

Charlie felt so much better he could hardly contain himself and it came out as a large hug. "Are you going to stay for dinner?"

"Sure," Ella said picking up her elephant. "Charlie you would happen to have a bag I could put him in and kind of don't want to carry him around like I did when I was five. I like to think I've matured a little since then."

"Sure thing." Charlie pulled out a canvas bag he used to use for laundry allowing Ella to stuff her elephant into it. "Your favourite colour is pink?" he questioned, not believing.

"Yeah, what's yours?"

"Red, blue." Charlie shrugged he didn't really tend to focus on his inner workings, just his math. "Want to go play air hockey?"

Ella nodded and ran off downstairs.

Allan was startled when Ella came bolting down the stairs with Charlie running down behind her. He did a double take to make sure he hadn't gone back in time twenty years. At one point if you had told him that Charlie and his siblings would eventually have a normal relationship he wouldn't have believed it and the only thing he wished was that his wife could be around to witness what amazing people their children had become.

Ella walked into the apartment with the canvas bag in hand. Don looked up from the hockey game and looked at the clock on the wall. "That took a while."

"I stayed for dinner." Ella sat down on the other side of the couch turning her attention to the game.

At the end of the second period Don poked Ella with his foot. "You want a beer?"

Ella nodded.

Don lugged himself into the kitchen and returned with two beers. "So it looks like you've got a little crush on my agent," he said passing her a beer.

Ella looked confused and signed please repeat.

"Don't give me that, you know what I said." Don sat back down next to his sister.

"Well David is pretty cute," Ella said taking a sip.

Don prodded with his foot. He knew he was being juvenile but he had always felt younger when his sister was around. "Wow if Colby heard that he might be really..." Ella put down her beer and placed her hand over Don's mouth raising an eyebrow threateningly. Don opened his mouth and licked Ella's hand. When she retracted her hand in disgust Don used the distraction to get close enough to tickle her. "This is why I'm a 'special' agent," he announced when he let her go.

"I can think of a couple other reasons." Ella caught her breath then lay down with her head in Don's lap. "Hey Don?" Ella asked looking up at her big brother.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for letting me move in with you." Ella enjoyed having someone to come home and talk to at the end of the day, and she liked it even more that it was her big brother.

"You are most welcome."

Ella watched on Thursday morning as a wave tossed Colby face first onto his surf board. She cringed when she saw the red streaming down his face. She pointed towards the beach to which Colby nodded. Ella made it there first and grabbed a towel. She walked over to Colby who was dragging his board and placed the towel beside his eye where he had taken off a layer of skin on the rough surface of his board. "Nice job cowboy," she said slowly taking the towel off so she could take a look. "I think you're going to have a shiner."

Colby took over holding the towel feeling slightly embarrassed. "I'll never hear the end of this at work."

"Come on," Ella said picking up her board. "I've got a first-aid kit in my car," Ella opened up her car, jammed her board in, and pulled out a red bag. "Sit," she ordered pointing to the bumper while shaking an instant cold pack. "Here." Ella took the towel from Colby and handed the ice pack to him. "I did the same thing the morning of my high school graduation photos."

Ella took a disinfectant wipe and carefully took in towards Colby's face. "Ouch!"

"Your okay," Ella said continuing to clean the cut. "You getting dizzy, seeing double or getting really tired? My brother will give me serious flack if I kill one of his agents." Ella took a piece of gauze and carefully put it on his face.

"No the only thing that's injured is my pride, well that and my face."

Ella looked at her watch. "Well I've fixed you up, but I better run so I can shower," Ella said packing up the first aid kit.

Colby stood up off Ella's bumper. "Thanks." Colby made a quick trip home to shower and throw on a suit. He did his best to make his face look okay but a dark ring was already forming under so he gave up a drove off to the bureau.

"What happened to you Granger?" Megan asked when he walked into the break room to get a cup of coffee.

"I fell on my board surfing this morning," he explained.

"With Ella?" Megan asked passing Colby a cup. Megan sat down across from Colby when he nodded 'yes' to her question. "That's the second time this week."

"Yes." Colby knew exactly where Megan was going with her line of questioning.

"You ask her out yet?"

"She's just teaching me how to surf," he explained trying to convince himself more than Megan who could see right past his defence. Megan raised an eyebrow and took a sip of her tea. Colby plopped down in a chair across from her. "Is it obvious to everyone?"

"People have started a betting pool."

Colby placed his head on the table. "What am I going to do?" Colby never liked to ask for help but if he was going to Megan was the person to ask.

"Do you like her?"

"She's Don's sister."

"That's not the question." Megan said with a smile. "Oh man, Granger you got it bad," she laughed.

"What does Granger have?" Don asked walking in with the purpose of getting a cup of coffee.

"A black eye," Megan responded without missing a beat.

Don took a quick glance at Colby's face. He had seen the same type of injury many times before in his own fruitless attempts to learn how to surf. "Surfing with Ella?"

Colby nodded.

Don didn't verbally respond and took a sip of his coffee. "Conference room in ten," he said before walking out.

"He's going to shoot me," Colby said bluntly. "What should I do?"

Megan raised an eyebrow. "Shoot him first?"

"Saddle up kid I've got a surveillance van with your name on it," Brooks said passing Ella a file. "We've got a video feed on some high level drug dealers. They have jamming devices that are sub-par and only manage to block out the audio."

"It's okay to admit you need me." Ella smiled as she got into the elevator with her boss.

"So I heard a rumour you're dating one of your brother's agents. It hasn't even been a week and you've already got a boy on the line?"

Ella's eyes looked like they could shoot fire. "That's not true! Who told you that?!"

Brooks pressed the 'G' button and laughed. "Touchy... that means you like the guy. It has to be Granger, his got the ruggedly handsome thing working for him."

Ella turned her back to her boss her universal signal for I don't want to read your lips. She exited the elevator to have a gun pointed into her face by a guy in a Nixon face mask.

"Get out of the elevator and on the ground!" he yelled. The mask covered his whole face so Ella was unaware that he had said anything. Brooks stepped forward to make sure Ella followed the man's directions but was stopped. "No, not you!" the man continued. "You go back up stairs and tell your director that the Earth Liberation Front wants the FBI to release the members of our organization that they have taken as political prisoners."

"Listen," Brooks said trying to reason, noticing that there were two other Nixon's in the main foyer with about ten other people sitting against the wall with a pile of guns and cell phones in the centre of the room. "Send her back up. You want me as a hostage, she's just a secretary."

"Don't tell me what I want," the man grabbed Ella and kicked Brooks back into the elevator so hard he hit his head making it impossible to stop the doors from closing him in. Brooks went straight up to the ninth floor where he was greeted with a mass of people rushing around, obviously news of the hostage situation had spread through the building.

Don was in the centre of it all barking orders. "I want SWAT to come in through the parking garage. No one is to enter the building or used the elevators. LAPD is going to lock off the street. I want security camera feeding into the conference room and I want to know what these guys want and I want to know five minutes ago!"

"It's ELF," Brooks said as soon as he waded through the people to Don. "They are demanding you release the guys from the club hostage situation." Brooks held the back of his head. When he was forcibly put back into the elevator he hit his head on the railing and was now bleeding."

Don pulled a chair out from a desk and made Brooks sit down before he passed out from what looked like a very serious head wound.

"They jumped us when we were coming out of the elevator. They took her and told me to come up here to give demands. I... tried to get them to take me instead... Don I tried."

Don's heart stopped beating. He grabbed the desk and braced himself.

"I'm sorry... they've got Ella."

Don raced into the conference room where Megan had the video feed up to see Ella standing alone in the middle of the room being circled by a large man in a Nixon mask holding an assault rifle. He felt sick to his stomach. "She can't read his lips," Don announced as he tried to regain his composure, he didn't want to be removed just because his sister was involved.

Megan looked at Don waiting for him to speak again or to throw up.

"Someone needs to take Brooks to the hospital I think he has a concussion. I need to know everything he saw and heard," Don said.

"I'm on it." Megan walked out of the room leaving Don with the video feed. She found Colby and David sitting with Brooks. "Jeff I'm going to take you to the hos..."

"No. I'm not leaving when Ella is down there," Brooks said before Megan could finish her sentence.

"David, Colby, go see what Don is thinking," Megan ordered, being the next agent in charge. "Brooks the sooner we go to the hospital the sooner we'll be back. Nothing is going to happen to Ella."

Brooks reluctantly nodded, he head was pounding in his ears. Megan helped him up and the two headed for the stair well.

David and Colby met Don who was exiting the conference room. "David I want you to watch the video feed. Colby get Homeland on the phone and find out where they are keeping the ELF guys."

"Don Homeland isn't going to let us turn these guys over," Colby said knowing that someone had to tell Don what he didn't want to hear.

"I know." Don rubbed his hand across his face. "David find someone familiar in the hostages and get their cell phone number. We've got to start talking to these guys." Don began putting on the tactical vests that someone had pulled out.

David walked into the conference room in time to see one of the Nixon's smash Ella's head with the butt of his rifle. Ella crumpled into a heap on the ground unable to resist as the blindfolded her and used plastic cuffs to tie her hands behind her back and positioned her face down on the floor away from all the other hostages. David was please at least that Don had not been around to witness what has happened. In the crowd he noticed Paul Craiger who worked in child crimes and went to work finding his cell phone number in the FBI directory.

"Homeland won't confirm where they are holding the ELF guys. The could be half way to Gitmo by now," Colby announced walking in to see what David was looking at.

"You got a phone number David?" Don asked walking into the room with tactical vest for both of his agents.

"Craiger's phone 555-3498," David said putting on his vest.

"Good, this is agent Smith he'll be leading SWAT if we choose to assault." Don tried not to look up at the screen to see what was going on, he wanted this to be any other hostage situation.

"My snipers have a shot at the two that are securing the hostages, just not on this third guy," Smith said pointing on the screen. "The women there is an agent?"

Colby, Don and David all nodded in unison.

"Good, do we know her safe word? We need her to roll away when we assault."

Don sighed and put his head in his hands in distress. Colby spoke up for him, "She's deaf."

"That is a problem," Smith replied. "With a fast breach we can still be pretty sure..."

"NO!" Don shouted loudly. "We are going to be one hundred percent before we so much as breath on these guys." He stormed out of conference room so he could go and update the director.

Smith gave a questioning look to David and Colby once Don was out of sight.

"The girl in the middle of the room is his sister," Colby said while zipping up his tactical vest.

"Damn," Smith muddled. "You think he's too close to this?" David and Colby both had the same question running through their minds but they both nodded 'no'. "Okay well you tell me when he is."

Don returned. "The director has authorized me to open communication. Colby I want you wherever Smith is." Like the good little FBI agent Colby was he nodded and followed Smith out of the room. Once they left Don turned his back to the video feed. "David, you've worked for me the longest and I trust your judgement," Don said with a slight tremor in his voice. "Am I too close to this? Am I going to get my little sister killed?"

David gave his boss a sympathetic smile. "You know if it was Charlie I'd probably say yes," David started. "But from what little I've seen of you and Ella I know that you two are very similar people and that no one knows what she is thinking better than you do. So right now Don I think you are the best person for the job and that close is just where you want to be."

Don nodded. "Will you tell me if I start to risk anyone's safety?"

"Sure thing." David nodded.

Ella opened her eyes to see nothing, pure black. She rolled onto her side in an attempt to figure out what was going on. For this action she was kicked hard in the ribs twice so she rolled back into stomach. Slowly she remember what had happened and stayed calm. Ella never minded being deaf, it was a part of who she was but she always had a fear of the dark. She had never told anyone about it but at this point she wished she had at least told Don. Making another attempt to move she was kicked again and blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

Don watched Ella get kicked again and stop moving. He held the phone in his hand and realized that he had to get his head in the game. Smith asked for a distraction and he, Megan and David were about to give it to them. They had managed to get seven out of the ten cell phone numbers and began calling them. They watched on the screen as the Nixon who has repeatedly hit and kicked Ella walked over and pick up the first phone. "Hello?" Don heard in his line to which he immediately hung up and signalled Megan to call. Like the inexperienced hostage taker the guy was he picked up the other ringing phone which is when Smith, Colby and half of LAPD SWAT entered the building. Like what had happened the previous night it was all over in a matter of minutes, but this time all the hostiles were killed.

When Ella felt the stomping on the floor she knew SWAT had moved in. She rolled herself till she hit a wall, sat up and placed her head between her legs minimizing the parts of her body exposed.

Colby looked around once all the hostiles had been neutralized. It took him a minute to find where Ella had gotten. When he saw her curled up against the wall he realized that she wasn't some helpless deaf girl, she was a smart and skilful FBI agent. He did his best not to spook her, placing his hand on her shoulder gently before removing the blindfold and then cut the plastic cuffs. Ella had bruises on her face and was bleeding from where she had been hit by the rifle turning her hair red she also had small cuts on her wrists from attempting to wiggle out of the cuffs. Colby pulled a gauss pad out of his tactical vest and placed it where blood continued to flow from Ella's head, they had come full circle from that morning. He looked her right in the eye and asked, "Are you okay?"

Ella nodded sharply and took the gauss into her own hand and stood up. "I'm fine," she said with Colby hovering unsure if her statement was actually true. "Is Brooks okay?"

"Yeah he's fine." Colby wasn't worried about Brooks as Ella was standing in front of him bleeding. Colby was about to suggest Ella sit down when Don came around the corner.

Don stopped short at the sight of Ella and began signing a habit he still had not shed. "Colby can you lead the paramedic's in?"

"Sure thing."

"Don I don't need an ambulance," Ella said inadvertently blocked Colby's exit.

Don looked at his sister sternly. "Yes you do," he said pulling a chair from the front desk over and sat her down.

Colby stayed frozen as Ella began signing quickly at Don. He assumed Ella was going to be fine due to her ability to sign not only quickly and angrily.

After about ten minutes of back and forth Don rubbed his chin and stood up. "Okay, you win." Don walked over to Colby keeping his backed turned to Ella. "Colby I've got to stay here and debrief the director can you do me a favour?"

Colby nodded.

"Ella refuses to go to the emergency room she says they treat her as if she has a disability. Her friend works at a practise not far from here she says he'll take a look at her." Don wasn't happy with the arrangement Ella had proposed but figured if he sent her with Colby she would be fine.

"Sure thing," Colby said smiling due to the fact that Ella was standing right behind him. He stepped out of the way so he boss could head back upstairs leaving him along with Ella. "You ready to go?" he asked passing his tactical vest and assault rifle off to a lower agent.

Ella nodded and followed Colby to the garage and settled in the front seat keeping her hand on the bandage. She carefully gave Colby directions while texting on her phone. It wasn't long before they reached a large office 

tower in the core of the city. Colby drove into the parking garage the two were met by a very handsome man in a white lab coat. Colby opened Ella's door while eyeing the man, he looked like a less jacked version of Brad Pitt and ten years younger. Once he saw Ella he ran over. Without a word he took Ella's bandages into he own hand.

"Colby this is my friend Jake he's a doctor." Ella explained as Jake looked Ella over without saying a word. "You can head back to the FBI and tell Don I'll see him at home."

Colby didn't want to leave Ella alone till he was sure she was going to be okay. However he wasn't her boss or her boyfriend so his hovering was unwarranted. He nodded and got back into his car, quickly he called Don to make sure he was making the right call leaving Ella.

#

Don returned home to his apartment after work to check on Ella. She sent him a text message earlier that afternoon saying that she was okay and heading home. Don wanted to check on her before heading out with dinner with Robin. Upon entering the apartment he came upon a sight he had never experienced the whole time that Ella was alive. Because of the large age gap between the two Don had never seen Ella with a guy; but there she was curled up on the couch with a guy. "Hey Ella Bella," Don said smiling when he recognized the guy sitting on the couch from when Ella was a kid. "Is that Jake the Snake?" Don asked taking off his shoes.

Ella shot Don a look. "Dr. Jake the Snake now." Ella signed along while talking to Don. She was lying on the couch with several ice packs on her stomach and a few butterfly bandages near her hair line and her head in Jake's lap.

Don remembered Jake from when Ella attending the LA School for the Deaf, they had always been great friends. Jake left LASD after he got a cochlear implant but the two remained close. Jake had also been in medical school while their mother was sick and Jake helped her get through it. Don hadn't heard Ella mention him since she said she wanted to go to his office instead of the hospital but he wasn't at all surprised to see him at the apartment.

Jake stood up when Ella lifted her head up. "Don, good to see you again," Jake said shaking Don's hand.

"Likewise," Don said with a smile. "So how is my sister?"

"I'm fine," Ella said not giving Jake time to respond.

Don ignored Ella and looked at Jake with a questioning look wondering if his sister's statement was true. "She is; bruised ribs and a few stitches."

Ella smiled. "Told you." Ella sat up too fast and jerked her ribs making her squint slightly.

"Yeah you're fine sweetie," Don said sitting on the side of the couch kissing the top of her head. "Jake thanks you so much for taking care of her." Don was trying not to make Jake uncomfortable but had trouble doing so due to his own unease with Ella having a guy over.

"We ordered pizza," Ella replied kissing Don back on the cheek and turning her attention to Jake who had sat back down on the other side of the couch, she lowered her head back into his lap.

Don looked at his watch with a wrinkle form on his forehead. "Um, I have to change my shirt and then meet Robin."

"Ah the invisible girlfriend when am I going to meet her?"

"She was here last night," Don announced loosening his tie.

Ella smiled and looked up at Jake. "One advantage of being deaf is I don't have to hear Don and his girlfriend knocking boots." Don rolled his eyes and walked into his bedroom leaving Ella and Jake alone. Ella 

watched Don leave and then turned her attention to Jake. Jake had been her best friend growing up and when she moved away she was ashamed to admit that she missed him more than her own family. Jake never demanded anything from Ella he enjoyed sitting with her and just being. He would also often turn off his implant allowing himself to experience the silence they once shared. Ella signed 'Thank-you' and took hold of Jake's hand.

Jake leaned down and placed a kiss on Ella's lips. "I'm glad you're alright." Jake turned on the TV, made sure the subtitles were on and then turned off his implant.

Don slipped out to meet Robin without Ella or Jake noticing he assumed Jake had turned off his implant for Ella's benefit. Since Ella had moved in Robin had been hesitant to use her key or come over as much so she and Don had been spending most of their time at Robin's house just outside of the city. It made a longer commute to work but until Robin met Ella personally Don was happy to comply with her bizarre habits. Don had also sprung Ella onto Robin with little warning. Robin first heard of Ella from her cousin Jeff, Ella's boss. From this a confrontation had erupted and Don had promised to be more honest with Robin and once Ella was settled integrate his girlfriend and his sister. However since then Robin had retreated from pressing the issue.

Don stood at the threshold of the house door. He had a key, it was in his pocket but after the events of the day he was so tired he couldn't bring himself to use it. Robin finally noticed him standing outside when she went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. She opened the door and poked her head out the door. "You okay?" She asked pulling him inside.

"Yeah."

Robin crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow Don was not going to get off with his usual one word answers.

"We had a hostage situation at work today. Everyone is fine but Ella was taken hostage." Don sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands. "I've gotten used to putting my life on the line but seeing Ella do it..."

"Hey." Robin lifted Don's head. "It's okay." Robin sat in Don's lap and kissed him while running her hands through his hair. "You want to stay in?"

"Alright," Don said lying down on the couch.

#

Jake walked Ella into her bedroom and allowed her to get settled in bed getting her fresh ice packs and a glass of water to accompany her pain killer. He was about to leave when Ella closed her hands and placed the right tip of her thumb over her left thumb and pushed them down making the sign for 'stay'. How could he refuse? With little protest he kicked off his shoes and curled up next to his friend the two fell asleep in a matter of minutes.

Jake awoke to the smell of coffee and opened his eyes to find himself alone in Ella's bed. Before falling asleep he had forgotten to turn his implant back on which made the alarm he had set on his phone utterly useless. He dragged himself sleepily into the kitchen where Ella was waiting with a mug of coffee and a bowl of cereal with fruit on top. Ella placed her thumb and index finger together, then put her pinkie finger up and then returned to having her thumb and index together making the same circle with the rest of her fingers pointing up. Following this she pointed to Jake then splayed her fingers open at her forehead closing them together as she reached her chin. Finally she put her right hand on her lips and then brought it down to her open hand. She had asked if Jake had slept well to which he replied with a nod and a smile. Ella walked beside Jake and reattached his implant for him in the loving and gentle manner she had done in all the times previous. "I have to leave for work," she said rather loudly, Jake didn't have the heart to tell her that she usually ended up yelling.

"Me too," Jake said wrapping his arms around Ella's waist and kissed her on the lips. "Would you like to have dinner tonight?"

"I think I've got to do some family stuff, maybe a late drink?"

Jake nodded, kissed Ella once more and then headed out the door.

Ella showered and got dressed for work. She did her best to cover up the bruises on her face before heading into the kitchen to find Don half asleep with a cup of coffee in his hand. "Donnie?" Ella slid in beside her brother. She ran her fingers through Don's hair waking him up of a trance. "When did you get home?"

"While you were in the shower, I spent the night at Robin's, came back for a clean shirt," Don explained. He hadn't slept well and even ended up waking Robin twice during the night when his vivid nightmares woke him.

"I need a ride, my car is still at the office."

"You're going to work?" Don knew that Ella had been given a week of clearance in order to recover however he was never one to take stress days when given so why should Ella be any different. He didn't wait for Ella to answer. "Let me grab my shirt then we'll go."

"So when am I going to meet Robin?" Ella asked as the two siblings headed down to the garage.

"I'm not hiding her."

"I didn't say you were. I was just wondering when I would meet her?" Ella threw her bag into the back seat and then hosted herself into her brother's huge truck. "I'm two steps away from going to the U.S. attorney's office and introducing myself."

"Okay, okay," Don raised his hand up in defeat. "Let's go for dinner tonight, Robin has been pestering me to meet you as well." Don pulled his tie up and folded his collar down before putting the key into the ignition. "I've got some pretty pushy women in my life."

Ella gave Don a shove and then turned her attention to her PDA as he drove.

"Come up later this afternoon and I'll let you know what's up for tonight," Don said once he had turned off his truck in the underground parking structure of the FBI.

"Sure thing," Ella said before heading off to her desk to find her boss in the same dazed state she had found her brother less than an hour before.

"I told you to take the week," Brooks said looking up from his coffee and computer.

"I'm fine." Ella sat down at her desk across from Brooks.

"I didn't say you weren't, I just said I told you to take the week." Brooks still had a splitting headache from the day previous, made worse by the fact that his wife had given him an earful about going to work the day after being injured on the job, the same lecture he was now transferring onto Ella.

"Concussion making you cranky?" Ella raised an eyebrow trying to make light of the situation. Besides the dull throbbing of her ribs she had put the events of the hostage situation in the past where they belonged and was moving on, not wanting to get dragged back in by reminders.

Brooks dropped a file onto her desk, it was the same one he had given her the day before. "I think we should take the stairs today."

Ella smiled, "Sure thing boss."

#

Colby was surprised when he saw Ella walked out of the elevator around five in the afternoon. If he hadn't known about what had happened yesterday he would have never known that she was hurt. There were no visible bruises on her face and she had her hair down covering the cuts along the top of her head. "Hey Ella," he said stepping in front of her, yesterday had taught him that there was no sense in tip-toeing around Ella just because she was Don's little sister. "How are you doing?"

Ella was getting tired of being asked the same question over and over. News spreads fast in the FBI, even the director came down to the fourth floor to ask her the same question. "I'm fine Colby. Have you seen my brother?"

"Charlie or Don?" Colby asked, both had been in and out of the office all day.

"Don."

"With Megan in the conference room," Colby said pointing across the bullpen.

"Thanks," Ella smiled before taking off to see her brother.

Don was in the conference room with Megan looking at many chalkboards full of Charlie's equations and victim's photos. "Ella," Don smiled when his sister walked into the room. "How are..."

"I'm fine!"

"Touchy." Don pulled his sister into a hug. He was beginning to like having Ella around not only at his apartment but around the FBI, she had a way of keeping him grounded. "What's up kiddo?"

"Dinner. You did call Robin, right?" Ella's eyes were wide, it was an Eppes family trait to forget about things that were important to Ella. "Did you forget?"

Don's flat face cracked into a sly smile.

Ella playfully slapped her brother's face. "What time?"

"Eight. I'm going to come straight from the office so I'll meet you both at Fried Green Tomatoes." Don took Ella's PDA out of her hand and typed in the directions to the restaurant. Ella always liked to have written direction in case she happened to mistake what the person had said through her lip reading. When he was done he handed it back over.

"Don't be late," Ella said before heading back down stairs back to work.

At about five after splitting her day between the surveillance van and the FBI office she went home. She took a quick cat nap and a shower then headed down town. She knew that Don had picked a good restaurant; one that had good lighting so she could read lips easily and not a lot of people so there were few distraction. Ella noticed her PDA vibrated on her dashboard as she pulled into a parking space. She turned off her car and picked it up, the screen read, 'Terrorist. Going to be a late night. Please tell Robin I'm sorry. You girls have fun! Love Don.' Ella rolled her eyes and headed into the restaurant. She had seen many pictures of Robin on Don's camera and scattered around the apartment when she was putting her stuff away so she knew who she was looking for. Even if she didn't know what Robin looked like she would have been able to find her sitting at one of the further back tables alone, with two empty seats, looking very much like a lawyer. "Robin?" she asked just to make sure.

Robin smiled shaking Ella's extended hand. "The famous Ella Eppes."

"Well I don't know about the famous part, Don likes to talk about everyone but himself." Ella sat down across from Robin attempting to ease any awkwardness and allowing her to see Robin clearly.

"Actually Jeff is the fan. I'm pretty sure I heard about you before I even met Don." Robin looked around aimlessly, making it difficult for Ella, then turned back. "Speaking of, where is Don?"

Ella sighed and passed the PDA. "Don't kill the messenger."

"Who needs him," Robin shrugged. She was getting used to Don's absences although in the current situation she was slightly nervous. Don had given her the run down earlier that day when he made the plans. She was doing her best to look Ella in the eye and speak clearly and slowly. "I have so many questions. I'm sorry I'm just excited."

"That's okay, I have questions too." Ella already liked Robin and felt like they were going to be good friends, or at least tolerable in the sister-girlfriend relationship. "Okay, why don't you go first?" Ella knew that lawyers were all about questions, they couldn't help but interrogate people.

Robin searched for a good first question, she wanted to jump right into her intense questions but restrained herself. "Why did you move back from Washington?"

"Honestly," Ella started. "I came home from work after having a really bad day and realized that even though I had moved to Washington to get away from my family that I missed them, and even needed them closer." Ella glanced quickly down at the menu while formulating what she would ask first. If she were Charlie she'd be working percentages, instead, she was trying to think of something appropriate. "You dumped my brother before."

Robin was shocked but stayed calm. "That's not a question." Robin felt like she was objecting in court rather than having dinner with her boyfriend's sister.

"I know. I also know that there are certain aspects of my brother's personality that are off putting when in a relationship with him, so I understand...slightly." Ella paused and took a sip of the water provided on the table. "I'm sorry I don't really pull punches I figure if I'm going to make the effort I should get to the point."

Robin laughed she felt like she was talking to Don. "Okay I'm going to dive right in. Were you born deaf or did you lose your hearing?"

Ella was pleased, now they were getting into the good stuff. "After Charlie my parents were done having kids, or so they thought. We never really talked about it because no matter what I was loved but I wasn't planned. My mom went into preterm labour at twenty-five weeks and I lost my hearing due to my underdeveloped cochlea."

Robin and Ella order dinner and continued to grill each other back and forth. To her satisfaction, Ella found Robin to be open in talking about her relationship with Don and about herself as well. When the meal was over they hugged and set up to have coffee the following week. Once she got to her car Ella took a look at her watch, it was nearing eleven, she was looking forward to curling up and watching the Daily Show when her PDA vibrated in her back pocket. She sighed and pulled it out, the screen read, 'Hope dinner is over. I need you at the Bureau now. Love Don.' Upon reading the message Ella grabbed several cups of coffee and headed back to work.

#

David smiled when Ella, fresh from the elevator, passed him a large cup of coffee. "Thank-you," he said.

"You are most welcome David. Where is the boss man?"

Before David could answer Don brushed by Ella quickly taking a cup of coffee and planting a kiss on her cheek; his back was turned so all Ella saw was Don pointing to David and David nodding back looking over at Ella. In a flash Don disappeared into the director's office. Ella stood dumbfounded wondering what to do, David caught onto her look of despair. "Come with me I'll bring you up to speed on the way."

Ella nodded and placed the remainder of the coffee's she brought on a nearby desk knowing that someone would take advantage of them and followed David to the elevator. "What is going on?"

"Six hours ago several canisters of experimental nerve gas were stolen from a research facility in Sacramento along with a hundred pounds of C-4 explosives." David passed Ella a rather thin file detailing all the information they were able to compile in such a short period of time. "Guards were taken out by snipers, the whole thing looks like a military operation. Two trucks left and went separate ways. We lost the truck with the nerve gas but managed to track the C-4 to a club down town. The two guys who were driving it are sitting at a table in the back." David walked and talked as the two checked out an FBI sedan and headed into the core of the club district.

"And because clubs are noisy you need me to read their lips."

"Exactly," David said turning on the red siren and taking off town the street. He turned it off and parked a few blocks away so that they didn't receive any unwanted attention upon entry. "You ready?" he asked Ella who was taking her hair down and removing her sweater so that she would look like she belonged when they went into the club; David was doing the same, opening the top button of his shirt removing his tie and jacket.

"Yup." David, upon Don's instructions covertly passed Ella a Glock. Ella was authorized to carry a gun in undercover situations but because she was not a regular field agent she didn't carry in her day-to-day life. Don knew that she and David were both going into a hostile environment sans Kevlar and wanted to make sure Ella was protected. Don, however, felt Ella was safe being with David. "So how are we playing this?"

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't my first dance, I've done undercover before," Ella said walking down the street. "Are we going in separate, together, are you going to pretend to hit on me?"

David laughed thinking how much Colby would have enjoyed going in with Ella instead of chasing down leads at the office with Megan. "You think we can pass as a couple?" he asked sceptically.

Ella winked and stated, "I've always had a thing for older men."

Ella transcribed the conversation onto her PDA while she pretended to flirt with David. As the night rolled on Ella became increasingly aware of how tired she was. She was relieved when she noticed Keith, one of the surveillance tech guys, walk in the door. Due to the impromptu scramble for agents David and Ella had been sent in while Jeff Brooks attempted to find a tech to insert a camera so that they could watch from a van outside. David left first and Ella followed five minutes later. Ella knocked on the back of the van and was allowed entry. Brooks was waiting for her with a sweater, a can of Red Bull, a bottle of aspirin and an instant cold pack for her bruised ribs. "Sir you are my hero," Ella said collapsing into a nearby chair. Ella much preferred watching from the surveillance van because she didn't have to make it look like she wasn't watching.

"Do you have anything we can use?" Brooks asked taking a seat next to his agent.

"Not unless rating the asses of the girls in the bar is a sophisticated terrorist code," Ella replied while watching the monitor. "I got a seven out of ten."

"Well it is a cute butt," Brooks added when Ella wasn't looking. "David, Don wants you back at the Bureau."

David nodded and headed out the back of the van.

Ella watched the video feed until the two men left the bar, then they were followed by a plain black sedan and the rest of the surveillance team headed back to the FBI. Ella was exhausted but dragged her seven out of ten butt into the conference room where Megan was sitting with Charlie who was scribbling on a clear dry-erase board. "What's going on?"

"Charlie is trying to figure out where the second truck went," Megan explained leaning back in her chair, she looked as tired as Ella felt.

Ella had a hard time understanding Charlie's math, she figured even those who could hear had some difficultly with it. She looked up at the plasma screen and focused on it for over five minutes. "Is this where we lost it? Under the bridge?"

"Yes, the angle is from a roof camera." Megan sat down next to Ella wondering what she was looking at so intently. "Do you see something?"

Ella looked at the video feed of the truck going under the bridge and then not coming out on the other side. "Okay, Charlie correct me if I'm wrong but do you think that this truck." Ella pointed to the truck carrying the nerve gas. "Could fit into this larger truck?" Megan and Charlie both looked at Ella in shock. "Sorry, nevermind."

"No Ella I think you may be right," Charlie said righting down some math. "It is at least possible."

"Well try not to sound so surprised." Ella tried but failed to hold in a large yawn, all the coffee in the world wasn't going to help her stay awake at this point. "I'm going to go down to four and catch ten of sleep. Come get me if I'm needed."

#

Ella awoke to Don shaking her shoulder. It took her a minute to focus on what Don was trying to say to her. "What," she asked while her brother sat down beside her on the couch beside her.

"Charlie and Megan said you were down here."

"And you came to check on me?" Ella asked raising an eyebrow while she sat up to face Don.

"And I brought you some coffee." Don passed her a paper cup followed by a container of Asprin. "I really appreciate you helping out tonight. You know if I could take you away from Brooks, I would."

"Well that isn't going to happen." Ella finally pulled herself from her slumber once she took a sip of the coffee hit her tongue. "You need me?"

"Yes, we need you to go out into the field again." As the words left Don's mouth he felt horrible putting his little sister in the way of what was one of the most volatile chemical weapons on the planet. "Thanks to you we were able to find the van. It is parked at a warehouse at the pier, we think they are going to attempt to ship it out of the country. We want to be as far away as possible so as not to spook anyone; too far for a parabolic microphone but..."

"Not too far for me and a good telescope."

"Exactly."

"Don you are going to have to give me more than coffee for this." Ella rubbed her eyes and stood up placing her head on her brother's shoulder. "I want to go home." Ella wasn't whining she was just stating a fact that she wanted to be at home. It that moment Don wondered to which home she was talking about; her old place in Washington, her new place at Don's or the family home where they both grew up. It had been an incredibly stressful week for everyone and more-so for Ella.

"We'll wrap this up soon sweetie. Then we'll order pizza and watch movies, I'll even watch with the sound off." Don patted Ella on the head and smiled. "We leave in ten."

#

"They are talking about football. But I think they are English and that they are actually talking about soccer," Ella said while looking through a pair of sniper binoculars from eight rooftops over from their suspects. "They are saying wanker and trousers too."

Colby laughed silently to himself from his sniper perch. He, David and Don were on the roof with Ella and Brooks, LAPD SWAT was waiting on standby a mile away from them. He admired that Ella hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours and was still able to lip-read perfectly.

"Don we're not getting anywhere with this," Brooks said looking through his own binoculars. He was worried that Ella was being pushed too hard.

"We've got to stick with this. It is the best lead we have to who is above these low life's," Don was trying to rationalize the fact that his investigation was slipping away and that they were going to have to hit the warehouse soon and run the risk of having the nerve gas released in the city.

Ella lay down on the hot tarpaper of the roof taking a break from her subjects. "Don you are stalling, and I want to go home and sleep."

"Just keep at it," Don replied pulling Ella back up against her will. Ella held her side and walked back over to the telescope which got Don's attention. "El are you okay?"

Ella was fine, she had only flinched because Don had pulled her up but because she was so tired everything boiled over in a single moment. "NO! Don I'm tired and this is pointless."

Don rubbed his eyes in frustration. "Jeff take her back to the office. I shouldn't have called her, this is too much for her to handle." As Don spoke he immediately regretted the words Ella read coming off his lips.

When he looked over Ella was looking over in disgust. "Thanks for the confidence bro." She turned away and followed Jeff off the roof, by the time they reached their sedan a few blocks away Don had given thee order to take the suspects. By the time Jeff had dropped Ella at the apartment they had the C-4 and the nerve gas. By the time Ella had a shower and curled up in bed Homeland had taken the case from Don and his team and he too was on his way home. Feeling horrible about what he had said to Ella he went over to Robin's and crashed there.

#


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Robin Brooks returned home to hear and smell someone cooking in her kitchen. Confused she took off her shoes and made her way to the kitchen in the back of her house. "Hello?" she called out. Robin figured it was Don, but he had never done something this romantic or impulsive before.

"Hey," Don replied poking his head out of the kitchen. "I'm making dinner."

"I can see and smell that...may I ask why?" Robin didn't want to seem ungrateful for dinner but Don never did anything without something happening to him first. When she got closer she noticed that Don's eyes were bloodshot and he was having an attack of insomnia again, something that only happened when he had big problems on his mind. Robin placed her hands on either side of Don's head and looked him in the eyes. "Sweetie, what happened?" Robin was beginning to be able to read Don like a law textbook able to see through his tough exterior.

Don sighed, "Ella and I had a fight today...at work."

"Let me guess," Robin said going into the fridge pulling out two beers. "You thought you were right, Ella thought different and you butted heads on the issue. Ella blew up at you and you haven't talked since?"

Don laughed, Robin was developing an insight not unlike Megan's. "Yup that's how it happened." Don took a sip of his beer and leaned up against the fridge. "Why do I do these things? I mean Ella, she was a brat. But she was tired, we all were. She is the one person, well besides you, Charlie and my father that will put me in my place."

"Okay." Robin took the beer out of Don's hand. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"Come on." Robin took Don by the hand and took him outside and shoved him into her car.

After about two blocks Don figured out what Robin was doing. "Can't we just..."

"No."

"I was just going to say..."

"No," Robin reinforced. "I am not going to let you run away from your problems. You and Ella have both had a bad day and right now I'm sure she needs her big brother."

Don was silent the rest of the way, mostly because Robin was right and also because he was trying to think of what he was going to say to his sister. When he opened the apartment door Ella was lying on the couch with her feet up in the air and her head dangling upside-down watching TV. As soon as Don walked in she flipped herself around and stood up, taking a few uneasy steps due to the change in orientation. She made a fist and circled it around her heart, the sign for 'sorry'. Don smiled and hugged his sister happy that all was right with the world again. Ella Broke the hug after it dragged out and began signing again: she pointed at Don [you], touched her left flat palm with her right index finger [owe], pointed back at herself [me], and drew a 'Z' in the air with the alphabet sign for 'P' [pizza].

Don pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and ordered enough pizza to feed Ella, Robin and himself for several days, then flopped onto the couch with his two favourite girls and finally rested.

After a few too many pieces of pizza and a beer Don dropped into sleep. The fact that the sound was off on the TV didn't help his conscious state much either. After finishing the movie Ella and Robin's eye met and then they both looked at Don. Without a word they both stood up hauling Don up with them and led his barely functioning body into his room. Ella then turned in herself.

#N#

Robin and Don both awoke startled when Ella screamed. Don remembered Ella's screams from when she was a child and used to get horrible ear infections that were never detected early due to her deafness. Robin was not so accustom, so when she woke up she grabbed Don's arm, which was useless as he grabbed the gun on the bedside table and was out the bedroom door in milliseconds.

Don opened Ella's door to find her thrashing around in her bed and sobbing. He unloaded his firearm and placed it on the couch just outside the door and then entered the room. Slowly he sat down on Ella's bed and carefully shook her shoulder hoping that Ella would not freak out further. He could feel Robin watching him from the doorway. Ella shot awake and into Don's awaiting arms. He held her for a minute rubbing her back and speaking softly to her. Even though Ella couldn't hear Don felt that the vibrations from his voice might be enough to reassure her. Once Ella separated herself from her brother Don began to sign; he placed his flat hand on his lips making the letter 'B' and then moved his palm down [bad], then he took his right index finger to his forehead and bent it up and down while moving it away from his head [dream].

Ella nodded and pulled her brother bad into a hug this time catching her ribs the wrong way. She flinched.

Don ran his hand across his chest [hurt].

Ella nodded again and lay back down on her pillow. She felt like such a child to have a nightmare and have to have her brother take care of her. She was stronger than that.

Robin entered with a few icepacks and an aspirin and handed them off to Don who got Ella settled and then reluctantly pried himself away and went back to bed.

#N#

Don and Ella met the next morning in the kitchen. Robin had a breakfast meeting and figured that the two siblings could use some time to talk. Ella tried to avoid her brother but he eventually cornered her when she tried to get a cup of coffee. "I'm worried."

"It was just a dream," Ella rationalized pouring coffee into her travel thermos. "Now one of us is already crazy and going to a shrink, I really don't think we need two." Ella tended to joke around serious issues. The truth was she had been through some stress since moving to LA and figured that once she settled into a routine she'd sleep better. Ella also didn't want Don to worry. If worrying was an Olympic Sport Don would get gold every time, he was a professional worrier. "Now if we both don't get a move-on we are going to be late for work. I know that's fine for you because you're the boss but I have Jeff to answer to.

Don decided that it would be in everyone's best interest to just give up the subject at least for a little while. He leaned in and kissed Ella on the forehead. "Would you at least let me drive you to work today?" he pleaded.

Ella made a huge dramatic sigh. "I guess."

Ella headed to work and spent a very relaxing time at her desk. Jeff even brought her lunch knowing that she had been put through the ringer. Finally the end of the day hit and of course her strapping big brother was nowhere to be found. Ella went to his office and found Colby was the only one around the bullpen. "Dare I ask where my brother is?" she asked folding her arms on the top of the cubical wall.

Colby looked at his watch. "Getting his ass chewed by the director... going on two hours now."

"Where is everyone else?" Ella asked.

"Gone home, which is where I am headed...right...now." Colby said while shutting down his computer. "Would you like a ride?"

Ella smiled, "If it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all," Colby couldn't resist. Ella's smile coupled with a formfitting dress shirt and a pencil black skirt made him weak in the knees. Her blond locks were pulled slightly up and held in place with a clip. Colby could no longer use the fact that she was Don's sister hold him back. With Ella entering the elevator with him looking as she did Colby threw all caution to the wind. "Are you doing anything tonight?"


	4. Chapter 4

Colby waited for what seemed like forever for Ella to respond. She just stood next to him and looked a head. Then it hit Colby like a ton of bricks; Ella was looking ahead, Ella is deaf, Ella couldn't hear him. Colby felt astronomically stupid, he had just used all his courage to ask out a beautiful girl and she had no idea. He was going to have to do it again. Unfortunately they had reached the parking garage and were no longer within the intimate setting of the elevator. Colby lead Ella to his car, unlocked the doors with the power remote and proceeded to open the door for Ella. Colby was standing still holding the door handle on the opposite side that Ella was on. What happened next almost gave him a heart attack. Ella leaned in over the door and kissed him...right on the lips. "Would you like to grab a drink with me?"

It took Colby a moment to grab his jaw off the concrete floor of the garage. When he did her replied, "That would be great." Ella winked and settled down in the passenger seat. Colby shut the door and braced himself, there was a good chance his boss was going to shoot him tomorrow.

'Don is going to kill you,' Ella thought as Colby drove through LA. She couldn't resist, he may have worked with her brother but he was also cute and a good surfer, she had to take the risk of death to at least try. Ella had also learned that she had to make good things happen in her life and stop being held back because she was deaf.

Colby pulled up to a small bar near where he lived. He did not want to go to any of the usual haunts as they were well-known FBI bars. He again opened the car door for Ella and the two sat down at a brightly lit table in the front window. Colby had a beer, Ella had a glass of white wine. They talked about surfing and then moved onto movies and books. Ella described to Colby how she watched movies and how she could even enjoy music as long as it had really good base.

As far as a first date went they were doing pretty good and then Ella spoke up. "Don is going to kill us," she laughed as they walked back to Colby's car.

"I've decided to plead insanity. That or just tell Don you seduced me." Colby joked, he wasn't the only one with that defence mechanism. Colby opened the door for Ella, the gentleman that he was. "Why don't we keep this our little secret?"

Ella looked up at Colby with a confused look because Colby had talked so fast she wasn't able to understand. Colby attempted to translate; he made a zipper like motion over his lips and threw away the pretend key. It wasn't in anyway the proper sign for 'secret' but Ella got the idea of what Colby was trying to say to her. "I don't like keeping things from Don." Ella stated bluntly.

Colby nodded either in understanding or agreement, Ella wasn't sure. He shut her door and drove her to Don's apartment with her directions, but little else was said. Colby pulled his car over in front of the main entrance but said nothing. "I don't really know what to do," Ella said. "This has never really come up with Don and I." Ella paused and took hold of Colby's hand. "I had a REALLY goodtime, but you have to understand that when I don't talk Don is the only one who will communicate with me, if I don't have him I'm alone. Do you understand?"

Colby thought for a moment at what Ella had said to him. He had never really thought what it must be like for Ella. He figured it was probably like speaking French and then having to talk to everyone in English. Colby nodded and smiled. "Whatever you want to do...just try not to let your brother kill me."

Ella laughed. "Thanks for the drink."

#N#

Ella walked into the apartment to see her brother a sleep on the couch with the hockey game playing on the TV and a half empty beer on the coffee table. She quickly glanced at the score of the game and went into the kitchen to start making dinner. She settled on a quick chicken recipe, rice and stemmed vegetables. Right about the time she was finished cooking the smell of good food woke Don up. Ella made a 'C' with her hand and ran it down her chest [hungry].

Don made a fist and moved it up and down [yes]. Ella brought two plates with food over to the couch and passed one to Don along with a knife and fork. "Where did you go after work?" Don asked, unable to sign do to the cutlery occupying both of his hands. "I went to pick you up but Jeff said you had left two hours before."

"I grabbed a drink with a friend."

"Does this friend have a name?" Don liked to pull the big brother card out of his back pocket every once in a while.

Ella bit her lower lip, put down her fork and signed; C-O-L-B-Y. "Please don't kill me...or him."

Don smiled but just on the inside. Prior to Ella moving to Washington she would have never even thought of dating anyone outside of the deaf community. When Jake was over Don was a little disappointed when he thought Ella would play it safe and date Jake. Don wasn't thrilled that a conflict of interest was now created between his sister and his agent, but he wasn't exactly the poster child for a work only relationship. "I won't." Don decided to play off Ella a little. "Like you said...you're just friends."

Ella laughed, they were just friends...for now.

Ella and Don ate their dinner and watched the hockey game together. Robin entered at the end of the second period and Ella left following the third when the game went into overtime because she was tired. She curled up in her bed and fell asleep.

#N#

Don awoke the following morning with Robin wrapped around him. He was thankful that Ella didn't have another nightmare, he was also thankful that it was Sunday and he didn't have to work. He slowly slid out of Robin's arms to make coffee and breakfast. Don's breakfast's usually consisted of toast and coffee. Sometimes he would slice up a banana and put it on the side if he was feeling especially unhealthy that week. Don was not a great cook and he had decided that cooking for Robin was not the way to impress her, although he did cook when he was upset. When Don opened the fridge in his tiny kitchen he smiled to himself sitting on a plate were pre made crepes with tiny fruit salad bowls on the side and a sticky note that read 'Figured this might get you some brownie points. Gone to the house to hang with Charlie and Amita. Love Ella.' Don smiled and removed the plates from the fridge and went back to bed to eat with Robin.

#N#

"Hi Allen," Amita said walking in the front door of the Eppes household. Amita no longer knocked, she didn't like to be a bother.

"How are you Amita?" Allen asked looking up from his crossword.

"I'm great. How are you?"

Allen smiled, "I am enjoying the silence. Charlie and Ella are in the garage."

Amita nodded in agreement and headed to the garage. Inside the garage she found Ella drawing on one of Charlie's chalkboards and Charlie scribbling madly on the other eight. Ella had covered about a quarter of the board with an intricate forest scene. Eventually Ella turned and noticed Amita standing in the doorway and waved.

Amita pointed at Charlie with a questioning look.

Ella shrugged and shook her head side to side. Ella sat down on the wicker couch.

Amita decided to pull out what she had been learning from her sign language book. She pointed at Charlie and took two flat hands and moved them from her temple and then out in front [focused]. Then she sat down next to Ella.

Ella smiled. She put the tips of her index and middle fingers together and moved them away [very] then she took her right hand and moved it down to her left hand [good]. She and Amita sat on the couch for about an hour doing basic signs until Charlie finally turned around and acknowledged them.

"How long have you two been sitting there?" Charlie asked looking perplexed.

Ella shrugged and looked at her watch. "An hour, what are you working on?"

"It's..." That was the only word Ella could read because Charlie turned his back to his sister and went back to looking at the blackboard. It was a common habit of his not to think that his sister needed to see his lips move. Ella walked over and lightly grabbed Charlie's chin like she did when they were teenagers. She took her index and middle finger together and pointed at her eyes and then back at her brother. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was trying to tell him. "Sorry," Charlie responded. "I'm so sorry Ella."

"Charlie, it's okay," Ella said. She didn't mean to be so pointed. She figured she should have just let Charlie go on and on and nod and smile. She had watched Don do it all the time. Even though Don could hear she knew that he only ever understood about every fifth word that came out of Charlie's mouth. "This is something we will work on together. Okay?"

Charlie nodded.

"Okay," Ella smiled. "What are we going to do today?"

#N#

Don and Robin arrived at the Eppes homestead in the evening upon the request of Allan who had planned a family dinner. "Hey dad," Don said grabbing a beer out of the fridge and a wine glass for Robin. "Where are the little Epps'?" Don had wondered what Charlie and Ella had been up to all day.

"They are..." before Allan could string a sentence together Don heard a scream from the backyard. Don looked out the window to see Ella running away from Charlie who was spraying her with the hose. "They were watering the plants. I think they made need some help."

Don smiled, took a sip of his beer and ducked out the back door to go protect his little sister.

"Were they always this close?" Robin asked Allan as she watched Ella and Don through the kitchen window. Don had gotten the hose from Charlie and he and Ella were now spraying Charlie while Amita hid behind him.

Allan smiled, "Donnie was the first person to hold Ella. I was a rough pregnancy for my wife so I spent most of my time with her. Donnie spent his time outside the incubator where Ella was. Even at ten Don was protecting her." Allan paused as he watched Ella begin wrestling with Don outside. "He likes to think he protects her but really..."

"She protects him?" Robin said plainly.

"I like to believe she allows him to share in her silence," Allan said cleaning his hands with a dishtowel. "I also think that Ella reminds Don of his mother. When Ella's hair came in that blond Margret used to joke with me that people would never believe she was Don and Charlie's sister."

Robin looked outside, now Ella and Amita were spraying Charlie and Don. "She does have her mother's hair. I really wish I could have met Margret. Don doesn't talk about her a lot but when he does...she seems like she was a wonderful lady."

Allan was trying to think of a response when his three soaking wet children spilled into the house with Amita close behind. "Just because you are wet doesn't mean you don't have to help. Ella set the table," Allan passed her the cutlery in case she wasn't focusing on reading his lips. "Charlie start the barbeque, Don put the sauce on the steaks." All three of the Eppes' children groaned and went about their tasks. "Amita, change you look like you are freezing," Allan said with a wink.

It was a nice family dinner. Ella excused herself to do the dishes and disappeared for longer than Don knew it took to do the dishes so he went looking for her. He found her in her old room looking at a picture of their mother on the nightstand. Don took the picture out of Ella's hand. "It's strange that you're the only one who looks like her."

Ella couldn't help but let her eyes fill with liquid. "I miss her."

Don pulled his sister into a hug. "I know," he said knowing she couldn't hear him. From their childhood Don remembered that Ella used to place her hands on Don's throat or chest and felt the vibrations so he knew speaking to her would still be comforting to her.

#N#

Ella sat on the bumper of her car in the parking lot by the ocean. She watched Collby pull in and park his car next to hers. Colby had his suit for work hanging in the back of his truck, his wet suit hanging beside the suit and his surf board on the roof. Colby jumped out of the driver side wearing flip flops, shorts, and a light blue graphic t-shirt. Ella smiled and waved as he walked over. "I think I was a little over ambitious about surfing this morning," Ella announced reluctantly sitting on her car.

Colby looked at Ella who had her arms folded around her mid section. "Ribs hurt?"

Ella nodded. Since her brush in the FBI lobby her ribs had been intermediately causing her discomfort. Although she desperately wanted to have the ocean on her skin, the breeze on her face and the fun of riding the waves she knew that it would be a bad idea. "Sorry I thought I'd be okay."

"It's alright," Colby said looking at his watch. "I was planning on going right to work, you want to grab some breakfast?"

Ella nodded in agreement.

"First," Colby stuck up his index finger and then headed to the truck of his vehicle. Ella followed wondering what he was up to. Colby pulled out a red metal box and retrieved a tensor bandage and an instant cold pack from the box. He snapped the cold pack and affixed it to Ellla's mid-section with the tensor.

"Aren't you a boy scout," Ella said with a smile. She grabbed a sweat shirt from her passenger seat and put it over top. "Thanks."

"I've got a great place by the office. We can park and walk there," Colby offered.

Ella nodded and got back into her car. While moving in and out of traffic and stopped at traffic lights, Ella attempted to fix her hair and put some make-up on her face. She stopped after she almost rear-ended the car in front of her. She parked in the garage and met Colby at the exit.

"Ribs better?" Colby asked. Somehow he had more skill at multi tasking in the car than Ella. He was fully changed out of his surf gear into his suit. Ella nodded, she decided not to ask how he managed to do it.

They walked to a small diner on the corner. Ella ordered fruit salad and coffee, Colby had pancakes and orange juice. "Did you do anything fun for the weekend?"

Colby shook his head 'no'. He had gone to the bar with David and Megan, and then went to the driving range on Sunday. "I think my half date was the best part of my weekend." Colby winked.

Ella tried not to giggle like a school girl over Colby's comment instead she smiled politely and tipped her head.

"Maybe we could do it again, maybe soon?" Colby was going out on a very long limb but with Ella sitting out in front of him how could he resist.

"Maybe," Ella said standing up while Colby through some cash onto the table.

They walked back towards the FBI office in silence. It was hard for Ella to talk and read lips. "Maybe a movie on Tuesday?" Colby asked when they reached the back office door when they were face to face.

Ella bit her lower lip. "It's hard for me to watch movies in the theatre... no subtitles.

Colby could kick himself.

"How about playing mini golf? It is a classic date," Ella offered she knew that Colby was trying and she didn't want him to become frustrated because she was deaf. "After work?"

"See you..." Colby paused when David and Megan walked up to the door. "Hi guys." Colby said opening the door, he turned his attention back to Ella. "I'll come get you at five tomorrow." He smiled and headed into the building with his co-workers. Ella broke off and headed to her floor.

Colby got into the elevator with his friends. "Colby and Ella sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-..." Megan teased while they headed up to their floor.

"Ha ha," Colby said with his face going a little red. "So do you think I should get Charlie to calculate the percentage of whether Don is going to kill me."

"No, Charlie might go after you himself." David was happy that Colby had taken the leap to asking Ella out. Since Colby had finished his undercover operation he had found that his partner had been lonely. Ella wasn't the greatest pick being the bosses little sister but David was happy to see Colby taking a risk that wasn't acting as a triple agent.

The elevator let out on their floor and David headed off to his desk. "Can I give you some unsolicited advice?" Megan asked.

"Always." Colby always got the best advice from Megan. He always knew she was looking out for his best interests.

"You should tell Don that you and Ella are going out. Out of respect for him, Ella, and the relationships you are all about to embark on."

Colby nodded. It was good advice as always. He headed right over to Don's desk. Colby figured that it would be like pulling off a band aid. The quicker he did it the better it was going to be in the long run. "Hey Don, I was wondering..."

Colby watched Don open his desk drawer and put his hand to reach for something. Colby hoped that he wasn't reaching for his gun. Don pulled out a book and dropped it on his desk. Colby took a look at the cover which read, 'A Beginners Guide to ASL.' Colby picked up the book from the desk but did not know what to say. "We aren't going to talk about this. Just don't hurt her."

"Okay." Colby took the book a left the line of fire.

#N#

Ella sat at her desk. Unless an emergency occurred that was where she was going to stay for the rest of the day. She was attempting to catch up on her outsourced work for other offices throughout the US. She tended to get requests from other places about once a week. Since moving to LA she had been so busy she hadn't been able to get to most of them and was now playing catch up.

Jeff leaned over into her cubical and handed her a cup of coffee. "I hear you have a date."

Ella smiled and took the coffee into her hand. "I have work to do."

"I know, I know," Jeff said. He knew that Ella had a lot of catching up to do and he wanted her to get caught up because the next emergency could be just around the corner. "Have fun on your date." Jeff winked and headed back to his office.

#N#

Ella worked for two days straight at her computer until Colby showed up on Tuesday night at six. She had managed to scoot away from her desk to change into a nice sweater and her favourite jeans. She smiled when Colby leaned over her cubical.

Colby signed 'you look beautiful'.

Ella tried not to let her face turn bright red, she signed 'thank-you.'

"Are you ready to go?" Colby asked picking up her coat from her chair.

Ella nodded.

"What have you been working on?" Colby looked down at Ella's computer. There was a video window up on the computer and a text page next to it. The men in the still video screen did not look like the most upstanding of citizens.

"The DEA has had these guys under surveillance for drug smuggling. I'm just helping it move forward." Ella shut down the computer. "Trust me after reading what these guys say to each other I'm ready for some fun."

"Well let us go." Colby led Ella out to his car and across town to a great mini golf place. He'd like to say that he let Ella win when in fact she kicked his butt and got a hole in one on the windmill, which took Colby ten tries to just get it past the blades. After he recovered his manhood they went and had dinner in a restaurant by the beach where they went surfing. They spent most of the dinner going through the little Colby has learnt from the book that Don had given him.

"I can't believe Don gave you an ASL book," Ella laughed after Colby had signed 'drowning' when he was trying to sign 'toast'.

"Well I'm just glad he didn't shoot me. Your brother is scary."

"He's a teddy bear." Ella tried to stop herself from yawning after she spoke but it forced its way to the surface. She was having a good time but she was also very tired. "Sorry," she said covering her mouth.

"It is getting late." Colby paid for the meal and the two headed out. After the drive across town Ella and Colby found themselves sitting in Colby's truck outside of her apartment building. "Can I walk you up?" Colby offered.

"I think you see enough of my brother at work. Plus I may be tempted to drag you inside." Ella leaned in and kissed Colby. Before either two realized their mouths were open and they were kissing like teenagers sitting in the driveway of their parent's house. Before things got out of control Ella pulled away and signed something Colby did not understand before closing the door.

Immediately Colby dove for the ASL book that was in his back seat. He spent an hour parked outside translating what Ella had signed, which was 'I like kissing you.' Colby, ecstatic, drove home almost dancing in his seated position in the truck, that night he could hardly sleep.

#N#

Megan walked into the bullpen and address David and Colby. "Have you guys seen Don this morning?" David and Colby both looked up from their desks briefly enough to shake their heads 'no.' Megan dumped a pile of papers onto her desk and took off in another direction to try and find her boss.

Don's team had been working hard with the DEA to catch a large shipment of drugs coming in on a shipping container. They had spent the better part of the previous day running around trying to track down all the players. At 9pm Ella came up and dragged Don with her home allowing everyone else a night of sleep before the chaos picked up again.

Jeff poked his head over the side of David's cubical. "Is Ella up here? She was supposed to join me in a meeting with ATF and never showed."

David and Colby both turned around and looked at each other.

"What?" Jeff asked.

Colby stood up and dialled Ella's PDA, even though she couldn't hear the ring she always had it close and on vibrate...a fact Colby always tried to keep far from his mind when calling her. David picked up his cell phone right after and dialled Don's cell, he used his office phone to dial the apartment. Both men hung up and looked at each other.

"This isn't good," David said standing up and grabbing his coat, Colby following right behind.

Jeff had no idea what was going on but none-the-less he followed the two men to the elevator. "Why do I get the feeling something bad has happened?"

"Because it might have," Colby responded.

Colby knew that it took about 40 minutes to get from the FBI office to Don and Ella's apartment but this time it only took him 15. The lights and sirens helped but so did his determination to get there as soon as possible. It was still the longest 15 minutes of his life. David called Megan while they were on route and she told him not to panic that it was probably nothing.

It wasn't nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

The door to the apartment was open a crack. Not enough to cause suspicion in the general traffic of the hallway but enough to make all three FBI agents draw their guns and yell "FBI!" while coming through the door. Colby had hoped that they caught Don in his underwear, because it would mean that there really was nothing to worry about. Well, while he was wishing for things Ella in her underwear was probably a better choice.

Colby's hopes were dashed the second he followed David through the door to see the usually neat and tidy apartment in disarray. There were lamps in pieces on the ground, a broken chair, a smashed glass coffee table and blood smeared on the wall. All the tell-tale signs of a struggle taking place. Don's badge was still on the kitchen counter next to Ella's, his gun however was on the floor and two bullet holes in the wall. Colby got angry that no one in the apartment complex reported gunshots; one had to be pretty disinterested to ignore something like that. Colby's train of thought scattered when Jeff yelled, "Call a bus!" from Ella's room. Colby watched David open up his cell phone allowing him to dart into the room. Ella was on the floor unconscious and bleeding from a cut in her head. "Don't touch her!" Jeff stated holding Colby back. "She's breathing and has a steady pulse, but she could have spinal damage."

Colby nodded. He couldn't speak but he knew he had to acknowledge what Jeff had said otherwise he wouldn't have let him go.

"Any sign of Don?"

Colby shook his head 'no' eyes still focused on Ella. The longest minute passed while Jeff, Don and Colby gathered around Ella. They didn't want to disturb the scene anymore than they already had so they just waited for the ambulance. Colby caught a slight movement from Ella. Before anyone could react Ella stood up and bolted from the room. Jeff was the first to chase as Ella wobbled running down the hallway. When he caught up to her he grabbed onto her wrist. Ella, who was running on adrenaline and instinct, punched Jeff in the face sending him to the ground and allowing her to continue on running. Colby was the next to try; Ella grabbed onto his hips and kneed him in the family jewels toppling the buff FBI agent. David was about to try but by the time Ella reached the end of the hallway she lost her battle to remain conscious and crumbled onto the ground. David being the practical FBI agent placed Ella in cuffs in front of her body; for her and everyone else's safety.

"Jeff this may be a leap but I don't think she has any spinal damage," Colby said using the wall for support to get up.

The paramedics arrived, Ella did not regain consciousness again. The forensic team had already started in on the apartment, Megan had already called Charlie. Thankfully Allan was in Seattle on a consulting project. Amita offered to go to the hospital while Charlie went with Larry directly to the FBI. Colby was torn on where to go but figured Jeff would/should be the one to go to the hospital so he stayed with David and the forensic team.

Everyone met back up at the FBI an hour later.

"Alright," Megan said taking official charge of the situation. "Roadblocks are up, all agencies have been alerted, and the director has made his priority one. David did forensics get anything?"

"Couple boot prints and DNA from under Ella's nails, they are running it now. The blood smear on the wall was Ella's." David wished he had more. "The bullets pulled from the wall had DNA on them and they are running it through ever database on the planet."

Megan nodded, Don was not one to miss when the shootout really counted. "Get anything from the neighbours?" she asked looking in Colby's direction.

"Nothing useful and there are no security cameras." Colby paused dreading the next sentence. "Ella texted me at ten last night, said she was going to bed." Colby knew his causal dating was not news in the office but he didn't want to be taken off the case due to emotional involvement. They were all emotionally involved, especially Charlie who was working feverishly to pull a clue or a solution from his math.

Unexpectedly Jeff walked into the conference room. "Ella has a pretty nasty concussion. On a side note she broke my nose." Jeff loved Ella like a sister and was proud that despite being horribly injured she fought back.

"Sex assault?" Megan asked the question that everyone in the room was thinking and as the lead agent was her job to ask when no one else could bring themselves to it.

"Nothing apparent," Jeff responded in relief. "They are keeping her sedated for her safety."

"She's our only lead about what happened to Don," David pointed out. He knew that Don would never approve of risking Ella's life to save his own but he also knew that Ella would offer to do it for her big brother.

"Well she'll be up when it's safe," Jeff stated putting an icepack on his nose. "My department is one hundred percent dedicated to this case and finding Don. Charlie's girlfriend is staying with Ella and LAPD is on the door and at the entrance of the hospital."

"Okay," Megan looked around the conference room. "Colby grab all the case files where there was hostility against Don. David follow up with forensics. Jeff can you get your guys to look at all the cameras around the apartment, look for anything suspicious." No one said anything they just all left in several directions. Megan headed across the hall to the other conference from where Charlie was pacing back and forth. "How are we doing?" Megan asked towards Larry trying not to follow the hole her favourite mathematician was wearing into the floor.

"Charles is understandably distressed," Larry announced.

"How is Ella?" Charlie asked wringing his hands. He was finding it difficult to concentrate. He was trying to plan an escape radius and determine a possible motive for injuring his sister and kidnapping his brother. Charlie wasn't able to come up with anything solid, usually Don was behind keeping him focussed, without his brother he was lost.

"Amita didn't call?" Megan asked.

Charlie looked down at his phone. "The battery is dead." Charlie had the genius to solve some of the most complex math problems in the world but couldn't keep his cell phone charged. "Is she okay?"

"She's got a concussion. Doctor said she'd be okay." Megan needed Charlie focussed and working at the task at hand.

Charlie nodded, an acknowledgement that his sister was going to be okay. He managed to return his focus to trying to find his brother or the motive for taking his brother. "I don't have anything. I've gone through all of the case files. I... I can't find anything." Charlie's hands were shaking with a piece of chalk in his hand.

"Okay," Megan responded taking Charlie's hand into hers. "We'll find him." Charlie knew the probability of finding Don with no leads and no demands was not encouraging but he appreciated Megan's attempts to keep him calm so that he could continue to work. "What can I do to help?" Megan asked sitting on the edge of the desk.

"More data, maybe data from some of Ella's work, she was attacked too their might be some cross over." Charlie looked at his board. "Can't Ella tell us who did it?"

"She's still unconscious." Megan didn't want to worry the middle Eppes child because Ella was going to be fine. "Just try to stay calm Charlie. Focus."

Charlie nodded and turned back to his boards. Megan looked at Larry and conveyed that he should take care of Charlie just through the movements of her eyes. Larry nodded in understanding.

#N#

Before Ella opened her eyes she knew that she was in the hospital. The smell of disinfectant rushed to her nose and the bed was cold. Her head was killing her and she didn't want to open her eyes even though the darkness was isolating. Finally she gave in an opened up her eyes a little allowing the light in for a minute. She retracted and turned onto her side, she felt the pull of the IV tape on her hand. It became apparent to Ella that she wasn't sure why she was in the hospital. She went through her memory bank wondering what had happened and in an instant everything came rushing in. She shot up in bed opening her eyes wide letting the light in and pulling the IV out of her hand. When she saw Amita sitting next to her bed sleeping in a chair she panicked again. Where was Don? Don was always around for her and the last memory prior to waking up was a strong vibration resembling a gun shot. She managed to get out of bed and take two steps and dropped to the ground. 'Dammit,' she thought to herself trying to get up.

Ella succeeded in getting up with the help of a strong pair of hands. Her blurry vision focussed upwards to Jeff standing above her. Jeff carefully lifted her up and placed her back on the bed which awoke Amita.

"Is she okay?" Amita asked.

Jeff moved a piece of Ella's hair out of the way. "She's good." Jeff didn't know much about Ella's brother Charlie but he knew that Charlie was struggling without his older brother. "I think Charlie could use your help."

Amita nodded and left the room.

Jeff looked down at Ella "You okay kid?" Ella didn't respond because her vision was still blurry. In front of Ella Jeff put his hand out and gave her a thumbs up and then turned it down.

Ella paused and put her thumb in the middle waving it slightly side to side. "Don?" she asked trying to focus harder on what Jeff's lips were doing.

"We don't know where he is." Jeff said more slow than usual so that Ella could keep up. He watched Ella's face scrunch up. "Do you remember what happened?" Jeff grabbed a tissue from the side of the bed and placed it over where Ella had pulled out her IV. Jeff held her head up noticing that Ella was having trouble keeping her eyes open. "Ella it's important."

Ella nodded and looked at Jeff. "My head hurts." Ella looked around again and realised that she had a head injury, and Don wasn't there, she needed to focus. "Don?" she asked again, not sure if she had actually spoken the first time.

Jeff signed 'take' hoping that Ella would be able to grasp what was going on. Communicating with Ella on a good day was difficult, "Ella what happened?" Jeff spoke and signed hoping to get an answer.

Ella knew what her boss was saying to her was important. She knew that her brother was in trouble and that she needed to remember, but when she tried it was all a blur. It was like trying to navigate through mud. What made the situation worse was that Ella didn't know how to put the situation into words. She knew how she would sign it but she also knew that her boss's ability to read sign was basic at best. Ella pulled a pad of paper from the nightstand beside her bed and began writing. She wrote everything she could remember. Because of her head injury she wrote many of the important points down several times without noticing, she also took breaks when the throbbing in her head became too much to take. When she was done, Ella hugged her head between her arms and placed it between her legs and cried. Ella was overwhelmed and all she wanted was her brother, the one thing she couldn't have...the one thing she may never have again.

Jeff took a look at the piece of paper and then back at Ella. As much as he wanted to comfort her he knew the information she had provided was invaluable to the search. He left the room and called Megan.

"Reeves," Megan said answering her cell phone, she sounded as though she had just run a short distance.

"Ella is awake. She says that she was woken up by the vibration...a gunshot around 4am. She got out of bed and walked into the living room. There were two men fighting with Don, one was holding his arm like it was hurt. They knocked Don out by slamming his head against the exposed brick wall in the front hallway. Ella fought with the one that wasn't injured; he hit her in the head with the duck decoy from the coffee table. That's all she remembers." Jeff paused, it was the first lead of the whole case even if it did come from someone with a head injury.

"DNA from the bullet is probably injured bad guy, DNA from Ella's nails is probably the guy who hit her," Megan stated thinking aloud and over the phone to Jeff.

"That's what I was thinking," Jeff peaked into the room to make sure Ella was okay. Ella was lying down, she had stopped crying to Jeff's relief.

"You think she could describe them to a sketch artist?" Megan was hopeful in Ella's ability to give them another lead.

"Megan she is barely conscious."

"Barely is better than not."

#N#

Don opened his eyes but saw nothing. I was too dark for his to see anything. He tried to use his hands to get up but something was holding them in front of his body. His head was killing him. Then panic set in as he began to remember; he had opened the door for agent Walter in the early hours of the morning. After opening the door Walter clocked him across the face. Unfortunately this didn't surprise Don very much. Agent Mark Walter had threatened Don on numerous occasions. Mark's sister had worked for SWAT, Mark blamed him for the death of his sister after an FBI lead op went south and she was shot. His sister died in hospital two days later. Mark launched an internal against Don for misconduct it was dismissed by the time the paperwork had gone through. He wasn't going to open the door but Mark said he just wanted to talk. Don felt like Mark needed a little closure. It was a mistake.

Don turned onto his side and struggled in the restraints while he worried about his own sister. His eyes focused to the dark room, he was alone. The door opened and Mark walked in. "Wakey, wakey," he said walking towards Don kicking him in the ribs.

Don focussed in on Mark and not the pain and his inability to breath. "Where is my sister?"

Mark leaned down. "It's hard isn't it? Not knowing where she is. Worrying about her, wondering if she's alive, now you know how I felt after I got that phone call, the flight from New York to LA." He stood up and kicked Don again. "Poor Ella, she didn't even hear us coming. Now you'll know my pain. The whole that is left when someone you love is taken away from you." Mark walked out and shut the door behind him.

Don struggled with his restraints and tried not to think about Ella.

#N#

Ella was frustrated because of her difficulty to concentrate which was hindering her ability to read lips attributing to her inability to express herself which was hindering her ability to give an accurate description to the sketch artist. Ella had been released from the hospital under Jeff's watch. They had gone from the hospital straight to the FBI. Jeff had Ella on the couch in the coffee room with the sketch artist. Jeff had thought Ella should still be a hospital bed but Ella and Megan insisted she try and help.

The sketch artist was very patient with Ella but after about twenty minutes she felt the walls closing in on her. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't concentrate, and she felt like she was being smothered. She walked out into the bullpen hoping that the change of venue would allow her to breathe.

It didn't help.

She paced back and forth in the pen gasping, trying to get more air into her lungs. She wanted her brother, she needed her brother, and she couldn't do this without him. She tried to focus on her breath, tried to calm herself.

It didn't help.

Ella plunked herself down onto a chair and placed her head between her legs. Because of her panic Ella didn't notice that; David, Colby, Jeff and Megan were watching from the conference room. If Ella had noticed them watching she would have tried harder to keep herself together...she would have failed, but she would have tried.

Colby moved to go and save the day before David grabbed his collar. David didn't want his partner to get kicked in the balls again. So they all just watched.

"Let go," Colby said to his partner.

"If she hits the floor I'll let you go." David had some trauma in his life and he knew that if Ella had a chance in hell she needed to be able to work through the emotions she was feeling.

They watched. Ella, after five minutes she looked up at her brother's desk, everything stopped. They watched as Ella paused and looked harder at Don's desk. She stood up and walked over at his desk and looked again.

"What is she doing?" David asked the question they were all thinking...as they watched.

Ella moved so quickly those starring at her through the window of the conference room were shocked. Ella pulled something off the bulletin board behind Don's desk and ran into the conference room. She slammed the piece of paper onto the counter and began signing faster than anyone had ever seen. She signed the same three signs over and over getting quicker every time.

This time David let go of Colby.

Colby cautiously walked over to Ella and grabbed her hands. Ella looked up at him. "Ella what are you trying to tell us?"

"It's them!" Ella usually made the tone of her voice by the reactions of others around her and she was usually on the loud side but she screamed what she was saying. Ella had placed a memorial pamphlet for Kate Walter on the table. There was a picture of her on the front with her two brothers; Mark and Anthony. "Those are the guys."

Everyone in the room stopped. It was Colby who spoke. "Ella..." He was finding it difficult to find the words, a small taste of what Ella was used to. "Ella you have a head injury, maybe you are just..."

"NO! It's them!" Ella turned away from Colby, she found him extremely patronizing, and went to Jeff. "Have I ever forgotten a face?"

Jeff smiled and shook his head 'no'. "If Ella says those are the guys I believe her."

"Good enough for me." Megan nodded in agreement and snapped into business mode. "Colby run their financials and look into if they own property. David start a deep background and call SWAT...not Kate's team. Jeff do your magic with the traffic cams." Everyone in the room scattered in an instant leaving Megan and Ella in the room together. Ella looked over at Megan with her red puffy eyes and her facial expression changed in an instant. Ella wasn't sad, or overwhelmed, she was pissed and pissed was an emotion she knew how to deal with. "We will find him," Megan said.

Ella nodded. "I know," she responded hoping, praying that when they did find him he was still alive.

#N#


	6. Chapter 6

If you asked Colby Granger what he liked about the FBI he would answer 'kicking down doors.' It was a rush and to date he hadn't found a door that he couldn't take down. However, he was physically and emotionally drained and even thought the door came down easily he didn't get the thrill he usually did. SWAT moved in leap frogging ahead of him clearing rooms as they went. Doors came down at four different properties around the city. Colby was perplexed when they actually found Don in the back shed lying on the ground. Supported by the SWAT member Don got to his feet and was able to walk slowly until the paramedics reached him then he collapsed onto the gurney. There was a sigh of relief as Colby texted Ella as they went to the hospital in the ambulance.

Don held his hand up and began signing. Colby now knew the sign language alphabet and knew that Don was signing Ella's name. Colby knew Don would be okay when he realized that all Don was worried about was Ella more than himself. "She's okay." Colby grabbed onto the hand that Don was signing with. "She's okay."

Don nodded and appeared to relax. When they reached the hospital he was checked out. Diagnosed with a concussion 4 broken ribs and received 12 stitches and was released after being doped up with Demerol. Colby helped him into the car to drive him to Charlie's. "That was a long day," Don stated with his eyes glassed over.

Colby chuckled and nodded. He drove Don in silence because after the day had by all what was a person to say? They reached the Eppes home; Colby pulled Don out and help steady him to the door. Amita and Charlie were waiting in the front entrance and greeted Don. Ella ran from the back kitchen and hugged her brother tightly. It was a very beautiful family reunion.

Colby felt like he was intruding so he said a quick goodbye and then headed out. He was about to hit the unlock button on his keys when someone came up behind him and pushed him against the car. It wasn't a violent push. When he turned around Ella's lips locked with his her tongue moving around his mouth. Colby tried not to over-think but the fact that they were standing on a well lit street right outside of her family home made him nervous. However his hormones trumped his paranoia and he continued kissing her until she pulled away. "Thanks," she said before turning around and heading into the house.

Colby smiled the whole way home.

#N#

Don and Ella stayed at Charlie's while taking a week off from work. Don paid a professional cleaner to come into their apartment but he felt it was best if they had a week as a family. It was great for everyone especially Allan who enjoyed all of his children under one roof.

"How are things going with Colby?" Don asked Ella while they were alone in the backyard.

Ella looked at her brother and smiled.

"You're not going to tell me. Are you?"

Ella signed towards her brother for about a minute.

"I know I'm his boss but you're my little sister." Don still wanted to know Ella's secrets it was the investigator in him. "I just don't like having secrets. I tell you about Robin."

"So we're going to play this game?" Ella said with a smile.

"What?" Don wondered if Ella had picked the wrong words. "I don't understand." Don decided to sign as well as speak because it helped in not only communication, but in feeling closer to his sister.

"If, and I'm not saying I am, I date Colby. Are you, him, Robin and I going to go on double dates? Are you not going to feel weird when I bring him to family dinners on Sunday? Let's be realistic here brother it is going to be weird."

Don agreed with his sister. He had to say that he wasn't thrilled with the idea of his sister dating one of his agents. But if he was being honest with himself he wasn't really thrilled with the fact that Ella had chosen a life working for the FBI. He wanted more for her, or he wanted a more safe life. Since Ella had moved to LA she had already been put in harm's way, and had not returned to him untouched by the experiences.

"Oh, there is the worried face," Ella commented placing her hand on her brother's head where the vein began to pop out. "I'm a big girl Don. I'm not going to get hurt."

Don let a tear slip out of his eye and sniffled trying to regain control.

"Hey," Ella's expression softened. "Don?" Ella never saw her eldest brother cry. Don was a rock. Don pulled Ella into a hug for a solid five minutes. Ella calmly rubbed her hand on his back until he released her. "Don, what is the matter?"

"You already got hurt."

Ella had to admit, her brother had a point. She quickly tried to come up with something to calm her brother. It was not every day that Don Eppes cried. "Don do you remember when I was six and I wanted to ride my bike somewhere besides the driveway?"

"Yeah, and you almost got hit by the garbage truck coming out of the ally because you couldn't hear the beeping?" Don was not around for the event, but he remembered his mother being very upset about the whole thing. "Mom didn't let you out of the yard for a year after that."

"Yes but after that I learned to be more observant and to slow down at the alley entrances." Ella felt like Don may have missed the point she was trying to make. "Don; I learn from everything, I can't live in a bubble, and some risks are worth taking." Ella smiled and kissed her brother on the forehead, then rubbed it where the vein usually popped out. Ella held out her hand with her index and middle finger bent down in her palm.

"I love you too," Don responded.

#N#

Ella was in the front yard planting a mass amount of daisies in the flower bed around one of the larger trees in the yard. Ella wanted to do something nice for Charlie and since none of the Eppes men were avid gardeners she figured she would take over her mother's green thumb. She stood up to grab another bag of mulch when she noticed a black Suburban SUV in the driveway and an olive skin man looking at her from the front walk. "You looking for my brother?" she asked dusting her hands off on her jeans that were two sizes too big and covered in grass stains. The man stood still on the walk and continued looking

The man nodded without a word.

"Don went to grab lunch at the bakery. It's just down the street. He'll be back in a few minutes."

"How do you know I'm not looking for Charlie?" the man asked speaking a level tone lacking in emotion.

"Most of Charlie's friends drive hybrids," Ella stated extending her hand. "Plus you stand very still. Ella Eppes."

"Ian Edgerton." Ian's hand moved in an irregular pattern, however, it was not so irregular to Ella.

"Very nice to meet you as well," Ella answered with words and her hands. "Sniper?" she asked. Ella knew that it was very common for snipers working in teams to use either their own signals or American Sign. She knew this as she on occasion taught a course on it at Quantico.

Ian nodded assertively.

Ella smiled. "Business or Pleasure?"

"Business," Ian responded as Don pulled his identical SUV into the driveway. Ian turned his attention away from Ella and towards her brother.

"Ian," Don greeted placing a large brown paper bad into Ella's hands before she headed into the house with the two men close behind. "David told me you were in town." Don had been recovering from being kidnapped and while he took his time David was left in charge of the office.

"Yes, I've got a gun for hire travelling across the US. I think he's in LA." Ian sat down at the dining room table where Ella was removing sandwiches from the paper bag. He sat down across from Don. "David said you were laid up but I though t if you wanted to take a look then..."

"Charlie would take a look too?" Don finished off Ian's sentence. "You're starting to become a believer?"

"The way I hear it the Eppes children are a crime fighting team," Ian stated purposefully turning around to look at Ella who had taken her sandwich to the couch in the living room where she sat eating and reading. "You never said anything about a sister. Colby got a little twitchy when David suggested Ella look at one of my surveillance tapes." Ian cracked a smile from the edge of his mouth. Ian was just as good as Ella was in reading small changes in body language. Ella knew before Ian used sign language that he was a sniper because of the way he carried himself. Ian had noticed the look of concern when Colby stated that both Ella and Don were 'taking some time to recover' at Charlie's house.

"Not funny." Don took the file and grabbed his sandwich and tossed one to Ian. "Let's go see the professor." Don waved at Ella and the two men were out the door.

"You doing okay?" Ian asked while Don navigated his way over to CalSci

Don shot Ian a look trying to act like he had no idea what Ian was talking about.

"It's not every day that an FBI Special Agent gets kidnapped. I was half way to LA when they found you. I missed the whole party, doesn't mean I didn't hear about it."

"My ribs still hurt like hell." Don was trying to down play what had happened. He didn't really care for being the kind of guy that talked about a traumatic incident after the fact. Don soon realized that Ian would not let him off with such a poor response. "I don't like Ella in the line of fire. The thought of loosing her freaked me out."

Ian nodded. "I have a sister."

This was the only time Don had ever heard Ian speak about himself and it shocked him slightly. "Really?"

"She teaches the third grade. The only time I have to worry about her is when she drives a car...and she doesn't own a car." Ian chuckled a little bit.

"So what's the story on your killer?" Don asked changing the subject away from his family.

"He's good. My guess he's attractive and successful, lours them in and boom." Ian pointed his finger like a gun. "I've got a couple on tape but he avoids the camera."

"You think he's coming to LA?" Don asked wondering why Ian had entered into his area of operation.

"He gets his hits off random computer sites and gets paid through them to an off shore account. We've set up a hit on a fake person in LA so he knows where he'll be looking. I've got a fake job, house, favourite coffee shop. The picture given is of an FBI agent who is on loan to the Australian Police." Ian was flipping through his notebook while Don focussed on the road. "I was thinking that Charlie may be able to pick points where an assassination may take place."

"Yeah," Don said nodding to Ian. "We actually had something similar a few years back." Don remembered an assassination attempt on a Columbian National. Don pulled his SUV into a parking space near Charlie's office and the two headed into the building.

Charlie was at his chalkboard with his headphones on obviously working on a problem and very focussed. Don tapped on his brother's shoulder to get his attention. "Hey buddy you need to turn the volume down I don't need two deaf siblings."

"Sorry Don," Charlie said placing his headphones and MP3 player onto his desk. Charlie looked up and saw Ian standing in the doorway. "Ian...so this is a business call?"

"I've got an assassination on a person that doesn't exist in an attempt to stop a gun for hire," Ian explained placing a file into Charlie's hands. "I need you to work your magic."

"It's not magic," Charlie stated plainly. He knew that it was difficult for Ian to ask him for help. Charlie sometimes pictured Ian as the jocks that used to pick on him in high school. Ian needing Charlie's help was his own personal revenge of the nerds.

"Math-magic, close enough," Ian brushed it off knowing that Charlie's talents would be invaluable to his case. "I really do appreciate any help you could give me."

"What kind of time schedule does your suspect operate within?" Charlie asked looking at the file he had been given.

"Best I can tell, after getting payment, he spends approximately a week learning their habits," Ian explained. "Once he has enough information he kills. I am not sure whether his inability to find his target will speed up or slow down his timetable." Ian was working on next to nothing. It was part of the reason he was seeking Dona and Charlie's help in the first place. This killer was responsible for at least 19 murders in the USA alone. If he wasn't stopped more bodies were going to pile up.

"Okay I will take a look. I should have something by tonight or tomorrow," Charlie offered. "I will call you when I have something."

"Thanks," Ian said extending his hand to Charlie to shake and then turned towards Don. "So are you really going to sit this one out?"

#N#

Don and Ian took the elevator up to the ninth floor where Megan, David and Colby were putting the case file up on boards in the conference room. Jeff Brooks was at a computer downloading copies of any video evidence onto a flash drive. "Don," he said sounding surprised. "Most people who get kidnapped usually take the week."

"Crime doesn't really take vacations," Don added with a smile. He wondered if Jeff was going to call Ella. He was fine to go back to work but he hoped that Ella would still have the week.

"It would be nice if it did though. Wouldn't it?" Jeff had finished with the flash drive and pulled it out popping the lid onto it. "I figure your sister can work from home." Jeff didn't want to overwork Ella. She had a unique skill but running her into the ground was not the best way to keep agents.

"She's staying at my brother's place," Don noted trying to focus on too many things at once. The room was now full of people moving paper, posting pictures, looking at maps. "I can give you directions."

Colby walked into the conversation. "I know where it is. I could take it over." Colby regretted these two sentences. They were probably the two worst thought out sentences in the history of words spoken to ones boss. Colby probably wouldn't have gotten as bad of a stare if he had told Don to go to hell. Everyone in the room took note of the two Special Agents in a staring contest with the junior agent. Colby shrugged, "It's logical."

Jeff looked at Don who gave him a slight head nod. Jeff placed the drive into Colby's hand. Both Megan and David watched chuckling to themselves. Colby was going to be on both Jeff and Don's hit list for some time.

"Please tell her not to come into the office," Jeff said. He didn't want Ella worked to the point that she missed living in Washington. Jeff had to admit that Ella being able to see Colby would probably be an incentive and make her happy. Colby wasn't a bad guy but the relationship he was starting with Ella had put Jeff into big brother mode.

"Will do!" Colby split out of the room quickly but noted that Ian had given him a wink before he left, he found it strange. Colby made his way towards the Eppes house. He stopped and grabbed Ella a latte and then made it the rest of the way. Colby pulled his car outside on the road and headed towards the house where Ella was sitting on a wicker couch on the front porch reading.

Ella noted movement coming towards the house and looked up to see Colby walking towards her with a cup of coffee. Ella smiled, "This is a nice surprise."

"I'm glad," Colby responded. He sat down beside Ella on his way down he kissed her on the lips. It was an instinctive boyfriend response but Colby was not sure how Ella would react. He decided to play it cool and pass her the coffee cup.

"Thanks." Ella placed her book on the wicker table beside her. She placed the cup between both her hands and tucked her knees up onto the couch. She leaned over and kiss Colby back making his fears that he had moved too fast dissipate. "I'm guessing this isn't a social call?"

Colby handed the flash drive to Ella. "What tipped you off?"

"My brother takes off with a FBI sniper and you show up with coffee an hour later...Doesn't take Charlie to figure it out." Ella was disappointed not that Colby had come over but that Don had left, she didn't get a lot of time to just hang out with Don. Following his kidnapping Ella had realized that she needed to appreciate the time that she had with her family, and with Colby. "Jeff doesn't want you to come into the office so I brought work to you."

Ella sighed and took a sip of her coffee. "I guess having that date that we planned tomorrow isn't going to happen." Ella and Colby were going to have dinner one his scheduled days off. Ella was really looking forward to it.

Colby stayed silent. He took his hand made it into a fist and moved it up and down [yes].

"Bah!"

"We'll have dinner after this crisis and before the next one." Colby tried to be optimistic seeing as Ella let him kiss her on the porch. "You never know. Charlie may find the killer tonight."

"My brother is good, but he's not that good."

Colby could have spent all day sitting with Ella but he knew that the longer he stayed the more dirty looks he was going to get from Don and Jeff. "I've got to get back to the office."

Ella stuck her lip out. "Thank you for the coffee. Tell Jeff I'll start working on this right away." Ella leaned over and kissed Colby once more. "Who knows I may crack the case in an hour and we can still have our date."

Colby smiled, "You never do know."

#N#

Ella walked out of the elevator onto the ninth floor of the FBI with her hands full of large paper bags. She walked right into the conference room and deposited the bags on the large table. Movement in the room stopped for a moment from the entry of a yet another specialist. "I figured you'd be hungry," Ella said opening up the bags and allowing the smell of Thai food to fill the office. "My slave driver of a brother isn't very good at remembering that people need to eat."

"Oh you are SO funny!" Don grabbed a fork and tugged playfully on the French braid in Ella's hair. "Thank-you for the food."

"You're welcome." Ella handed her brother the small flash drive that Colby had dropped off. "I just threw the text back on there. No good evidence, a lot of 'Oh my god's' and 'Please Don't.' One of the videos is damaged, Amita said she'd help me with it tomorrow."

"Okay, okay," Don said nodding as Ella passed him a Styrofoam container. "Can we talk?"

Ella nodded and followed her brother into the break room.

"I got a call from my cleaner, the apartment is clean." Don wanted to go back with Ella and make sure that they were both okay.

Ella nodded, quicker this time.

"You can stay at Charlie's until..."

"I'm okay Don. I promise." Ella would have liked to have her brother with her at their apartment but it was time for Don to start seeing her as an adult and not a six-year-old. "I want to sleep in my own bed."

"I got another deadbolt for the door." Don passed Ella a key with a smile.

"Have fun with the case." Ella went out the door and headed to the elevator she gave Colby a wink before disappearing. Ella went back to Charlie's to grab her stuff and then headed across town. She only hesitated once when putting her key into the door. Once she was inside and saw that everything had been fixed all her fears dissipated. She threw on a movie, made some popcorn and relaxed.

#N#

Ella always got lost when she went to Cali Sci. She managed to find a coffee cart but had trouble remembering which building her brother's office was. Ella had no idea where Amita's office resided, or if she even had an office. Amita and Charlie always seemed to be joined at the hip. She managed to find something that looked like the building and headed inside. Luckily all the buildings at Cal Sci had a map directory when you walked in. Ella stood with her coffee in hand facing the wall squinting at the map. When she had determined where she needed to go she turned around sharply. In doing this she ran right into a guy that was standing behind her spilling her coffee and the coffee she was bring to Amita onto herself and the guy.

"WHAT THE HELL! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? I JUST ASKED IF YOU NEEDED HELP FINDING YOUR WAY! FUCK THAT'S HOT!"

Ella was startled. Not only was the coffee extremely hot but the guy she had spilled it on was now yelling so fast that she could not read his lips. Although she didn't know what he was saying she knew that he was very upset. "I'm sorry," Ella said. "I didn't see you there."

"What are you fucking retarded? I was talking to you!" the man spoke in the lower tone.

This Ella understood. It was not the first time she had been called that word. Before she had a chance to respond she saw that Charlie was standing behind the guy with a shocked look on his face. Charlie stepped between Ella and the guy. "That's my sister, watch your mouth." Charlie, who was not physically imposing by any means, pushed the guy backwards slightly. "She's deaf." Charlie put his arm around Ella's shoulder and brought her down the hall to his office. He passed her some paper towel to help her clean up. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine." Ella was used to intolerant behaviour, Charlie was not and she could tell that he was furious. "Do you have a spare shirt or sweater?"

"Ya," Charlie fumbled, he wondered why he seemed more upset about what had happened then Ella did. He was just about to go up to Ella when she turned around so he had witnessed the whole event, and, unlike Ella, he had heard what was said to her. Charlie closed the door of his office so that his sister could change.

Ella slipped off the casual hoodie she was wearing luckily most of the coffee hit her top and her jeans escaped relatively dry. Charlie had given her a blue collared shirt it had a little big but would work. Ella could have made anything look good.

"Hey Charlie, Don sent me..." Colby walked into the room and stopped short when he noticed Ella standing in the middle of the room in a bra buttoning Charlie's shirt overtop. "Sorry." Colby didn't back out of the room he just closed his eyes.

"Done." Ella announced.

"What happened?" Colby asked seeing Ella fold up a white hoodie stained with coffee. He had seen the hoodie before he had a suspicion that it was one of Ella's favourites.

"Just a little accident," Ella said not wanting Colby to join with Charlie in freaking out. "Charlie how do I get to Amita's office?"

"Down the hall take a left, third door."

"Thanks!" Ella headed towards the door and kissed Colby on the cheek when Charlie wasn't looking. "Bye Charlie, bye Colby!"

"You okay?" Colby asked noticing that Charlie looked very agitated.

"No!" Charlie yelled. After his outburst Charlie felt that Colby may have needed a bit more of an explanation that him yelling. "This guy was hitting on Ella. Only her back was turned and when she turned around she spilled her coffee. He started yelling at her. He called her retarded."

Colby was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to punch a wall. "WHAT!?"

"That was my reaction, but Ella was totally calm about the whole thing. It made me wonder how many times that has happened to her before." Charlie was used to being picked on he went to high school when he was ten it was expected but he had never experienced such a hateful comment. "I have to admit the urge to hit him did occur."

"You?" Colby stated. In Colby's mind the only person who was less into violence than Charlie Eppes was Gandhi.

"I know, but I just wanted to hit him."

"Point him out to me...I'll hit him." Colby tried to make it sound like a joke but in his mind he was kicking some random college guy's ass.

Charlie smiled, "What is going on with you and my sister?" Charlie was aware that Colby and Ella had gone on a date but seeing his reaction made him wonder if things were getting serious.

"So Don asked me to come over and see what you had," Colby said trying to change the subject.

Charlie picked up his laptop. "I think I've got everything on this. Lets go."

#N#

Charlie gave his math speech to the conference room at the FBI. The bullet point of the lesson was that Charlie had mapped out the most likely paths that the assassin would use to stalk his target. Afterwards he and Don were left together while everyone else scattered to do their various tasks.

"You okay buddy?" Don asked, he big-brother sense was tingling telling him that something wasn't right with his little brother.

"Ella ran into someone at Cal Sci today...because she didn't hear them behind her. They said horrible things to her and she acted like it was no big deal." Charlie was not always one to be observant about those around him and empathy was sometimes difficult to come by. This was his first startling realization about how difficult his sister's life was. He had never considered it because Ella was always so happy, well adjusted and able to function in regular society. Charlie now had a close enough relationship with his brother that he felt comfortable verbalizing his feelings. "I remember being so jealous of her. I always got so much attention and when the spot light wasn't on me I used to get mad." Charlie's voice cracked slightly and his eyes began to tear up. He fought back the liquid to speak again. "I can't imagine how hard her life has been. I was such a brat being jealous of her. So much of our parent's time went into my education and you and Ella..."

"Charlie," Don started, this was a common topic in the Eppes household. In the family hierarchy of attention Charlie came first, followed by Ella and then Don who mostly fended for himself. Ella became independent at eight when their mother went to Harvard with Charlie, Don went to college and when she and Allan quickly discovered that she hadn't a clue how to French braid hair. "Ella and I...well we turned out fine and everything he did or did not have has made us the people we are today. Ella is amazingly tough and a fantastic FBI agent because she was raised the way she was. And as for this guy at Cali Sci, get his name and I put him on the terrorist watch list." Don smiled and laughed playfully slapping his brother on the back. He was extremely proud of the emotional step his brother had taken. "I'm going to make sure everyone has the evening off tonight. You want to hang out?"

"Sure. Maybe we can all have dinner at the house? I can call Amita, she's with Ella trying to clean up one of the surveillance tapes." Charlie figured that Ella could at least use a night of fun after being scalded by hot coffee.

"I hate to say this but I think Ella is going to blow us off to go on a date with Colby." Don hadn't told his team that they were getting the night off. He had seen Colby's day planner open on his desk today had 'Dinner with E' written in red pen. Don figured that a night off for everyone would have them return sharp the next day and he didn't want to be responsible for someone having a breakdown.

"Colby was pretty evasive when I asked him about it," Charlie observed. "Although I don't think I'm very good at playing the intimidating big brother part. I think if he wasn't an FBI agent I would have better luck with it."

"I think we need to give them both a little room to see what they want." Don leaned on the edge of the table and ran his hand over his face. "I also think we need to stop think of Ella as a five year-old in pigtails."

Charlie nodded. "See you at home?"

"You bet, I'll bring the beer." Don headed into the bullpen where all of his people were working. "Okay unless something ground breaking happens before five this afternoon everyone is taking the night off and coming back at seven tomorrow." As soon as Don finished his announcement he noticed Colby texting on his personal phone.

#N#

Colby knocked on the door of Ella and Don's apartment. He was relieved when Ella, and not Don, opened the door. Ella's face lit up as Colby had brought her a dozen pink roses. "I heard from Charlie you had a bad day."

"It's definitely getting better," Ella stating taking the flowers and giving Colby a little kiss on the cheek. "They are beautiful. Thank you so much." Ella walked into the kitchen and pulled out a vase to put the flowers in. "What are we going to do tonight?"

"You'll see," Colby said wrapping his arm around Ella's hips and kissing her before he lead her to the door.

Colby opened the car door for Ella and closed it when she got in. He refused to tell her anything about where they were going and therefore did not punch it into his GPS. When they reached their destination they were on a hill overlooking a large valley. Colby opened up the trunk and took out a small table, two chairs and a table cloth. He set the table and placed food on the plates. Colby pulled out the chair for Ella and the two ate overlooking LA.

#N#

Ella walked quietly into Colby's apartment. He turned on the hallway lights as they entered. Ella slipped off her sneakers without untying them and walked down the hallway which opened up into a kitchen and living room, another hallway to the left with three doors where Ella figured the bedrooms and bathroom were most likely located. She turned and leaned up against the kitchen island. "Nice place."

Colby approached and placed his hands on either side of the island and Ella's hips. "Thanks." He leaned in and began slowly kissing the beautiful girl in front of him. The pace began to pick up and when it did Colby forcefully grabbed Ella's hips and lifted her onto the table top of the island so that he could stand and she would be at the same height.

Ella grabbed the material of Colby's t-shirt at the bottom and pulled it up over his head so that he was shirtless exposing his bare chest. She ran her hands from the top of his back to his jeans while he kissed her.

With slightly less grace Colby fumbled with the buttons on Ella's blouse but eventually won and pulled it backwards while Ella lifted her arms from the sleeves. Colby, while kissing, pushed Ella back so that she was lying down on the table. He ran his tongue from Ella's throat all the way to the button of her pants which he undid as his tongue made the journey back to her mouth.

Ella did Colby the service of sliding her jeans down to her knees and then pulled her legs out letting her pants fall onto the kitchen floor. She used one hand to pull Colby towards her and the other to undo his belt and jeans. As Colby's jeans were loose fitting around his hips once they were undone they fell to the floor where he was able to step out of them.

Colby looped his right arm under Ella's knees and his left by her shoulder blades and lifted her off of the counter. He walked down the hallway and pushed on his bedroom door. The door was not fully closed and opened with ease. He placed Ella gently onto the bed.

They began kissing again. Ella pulled Colby from his standing position beside the bed to on top of her. Ella wondered what she had done when Colby jumped up from the bed and ran out of the room. She was relieved when he returned on his cell phone.

Colby made the sign for the letter 'a' and circled it around his chest, the sign for 'sorry'. Ella smiled and walked into the kitchen to retrieve her pants. She returned to the room with Colby's clothes. Colby hung up the phone. "Sorry." Colby kissed Ella as she passed him his clothes.

"It's okay." Ella tried to hide her disappointment. Ella checked her PDA to make sure that no one needed her help.

"You can stay here...or," Colby wished he had a different job.

"No, I'll head home." Ella was more comfortable in her own home. "See you later?"

"Yeah." Colby felt like a jackass but if anyone understood it would have been Ella. Colby leaned in and kissed Ella again. "You're great."

Ella smiled. "I know. Can you drop me at the subway?"

"Sure thing," Colby said before going to his closet to get a clean shirt and the two headed out. Colby reached the opening to the subway and did the right thing opening up Ella's door for her. Ella kissed him quickly and then went to searching her purse for change or a token. Colby got back into his car but then noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Colby pulled his gun and got back out.

Ella looked up to come face to face with a gun. She should have known better to get distracted in this part of town. She didn't want to be a bother. It was no big deal to take the subway and most of LA was safe but sometimes Ella was just unlucky. Ella dropped her purse and put her hands up. Ella was totally unaware that Colby was still behind her and was yelling out at the man with the gun.

"DROP IT!" Colby yelled taking up a cover position behind his car. "FBI!"

The thief grabbed Ella and pushed her violently to the ground. On the way down Ella hit her head on a nearby bike rack, she was knocked unconscious and continued to the ground.

A single gunshot rang out.


	7. Chapter 7

**I would lie to dedicate this chapter to my father who died in April. Writing has always been a very personal thing of mine and I never shared any of my work with anyone besides the fanfiction community and I wish I would have shared it with him. I miss him terribly. **

**ich liebe dich Daddy.**

**CHAPTER 7**

Don's cell phone rang. He picked it up right after the first ring as he was never too far away from his phone. "Eppes."

"Agent Eppes," the voice on the other end of the phone started. "This is officer Wells, LAPD. Colby Granger was shot outside the east end subway station. His badge and gun were found by the paramedics. He took it in the chest, he must have been on his was to work because the vest stopped the bullet."

Don sighed in relief. He knew that David had called Colby out. Don was still healing so he was shying away from field work. "What hospital?"

"Mount Sinai," the officer stated. "He's probably going to get accommodation for this our investigation shows that he probably stopped to help a girl while she was being robbed. The thief got away with her personal..."

"Describe the girl," Don interrupted as his heart clawed its way into his throat.

"Blond curly hair, pretty, no ID yet she seems pretty traumatized and won't..."

"I'll be right there." Don ran out of the house to his SUV and raced with the lights on across town. He arrived outside of the subway station where and ambulance and several LAPD cars were on scene.

Don saw Gary Walker heading in his direction as soon as he got out of his vehicle. "Eppes," I came as soon as I heard. Granger's already gone to the hospital, knocked out but..."

"WHERE IS SHE?" Don yelled.

"Who?" Lt. Gary Walker had never seen FBI Special Agent Eppes ever come this unglued. "Eppes what is going on?"

"The girl? Where is the girl?"

"Over in the bus," Walker stated while pointing.

Don took off in a flash he was beside Ella and wrapped his arms around her. Don noticed that she had a small cut on her head but otherwise just seemed to be upset. Don began signing quickly, [what happened, are you alright?]. Ella signed for about three minutes with her brother. When she was done Don hugged her again and gave her his jacket. "Does she need to go to the hospital?" he asked the paramedic.

"She'll be fine if she's with somebody," the paramedic responded placing a butterfly bandage on the small cut on Ella's head.

"Okay sweetie got to the truck." Don signed and spoke Ella nodded quickly and left.

Walker looked strange at Don after Ella had left. "Friend of yours?"

"Sister, she's deaf," Don explained sitting down on the ledge of the ambulance. "She says that Colby got a call and dropped her off at the subway. A guy came up with a gun she dropped her purse. He pushed her and she got knocked out when she came to Colby was on the ground."

"Sister?" Walker asked. "You are full of surprises." Walker placed his hand on Don's shoulder. He thought the agent could use support. "She's going to have to make a formal statement."

Don nodded. "I should go check on Colby and then I'll bring Ella down." Don didn't need any more drama for the day but he knew that Ella was going to want to see Colby right away and that Colby should see her too.

"I hope you don't mind me asking but Granger and..." Walker was curious.

"They're dating," Don said rubbing his face. "I gave Colby the night off to have a date with Ella."

Walked laughed, "See you soon."

Don headed back to his truck where Ella was curled up in the front seat when she saw her brother she began signing rapidly, almost too fast for Don to keep up. "Colby is fine. We are going to the hospital right now," Don explained rolling his eyes at his sister freaking out. Don kissed Ella on the forehead. "I am glad you are okay."

Ella nodded and placed her head on Don's shoulder. "Thanks for not freaking out too much."

Don drove to the hospital and parked in the temporary parking. He figured that no one was going to tow a large SUV with a fairly evident police light bar in the back. Ella and he walked into the emergency room just as Colby was walking out.

Colby smiled when he saw Ella, Don had never seen Colby smile like it before. "You okay?" Colby asked looking Ella up and down.

Ella nodded and started to cry.

"Hey, it's okay," Colby hugged Ella and rubbed her back while Don watched their interaction. Colby looked away from Ella who had her head buried in his chest. "Is she really okay?" he asked knowing that Ella couldn't read his lips.

"She's fine, little bump on the head," Don said with little smile. "You okay?"

"Bruised rib," Colby shrugged. "I'm going to need you to approve a new vest requisition."

"Thank you," Don said with the most sincerity he had. Don knew that if Colby hadn't have been there then Ella might not be standing in front of him.

Colby nodded knowing that Ella was one of the most important things in Don's life.

Ella pulled away slightly and looked at her brother and Colby. "Stop talking about me," she said after feeling the vibrations of speaking through Colby's body.

Both Colby and Don laughed. "They brought your car over," Don explained tossing him the keys that Don had been given by a young LAPD officer. "You'll both need to go down and make a statement. I'm going to go see if Megan and Colby need a hand."

Colby was stunned, Don seemed to be allowing his baby sister who had almost been shot to leave his sight. "When we're done should we meet you at the office?"

Don shook his head 'no'. "I think getting shot qualifies you for a good night sleep. Plus someone is going to have to take over when we are all dead tired in the morning." Before Don headed out the door he signed exceptionally fast to Ella in an attempt for Colby not to understand given his rudimentary skills.

Ella smiled and waved goodbye to her brother.

"Was that about me?" Colby asked trying to act slightly offended. "You know in some cultures it is considered rude to talk with your hands."

"Don was just reminding me that because I hit my head I'm not allowed to be alone so I either have to stay at your place or you have to come to mine," Ella explained. She did not understand why Colby thought her brother was such a prude. Ella did not have guy talk like Don and Charlie did but Don was fully aware that Ella was no longer sixteen and he was no longer responsible for chasing boys away.

#N#

Colby and David were looking for the assassin in one of the area's Charlie had predicted he may choose to observe his target from. Colby's temporary vest was pushing into his ribs making him uncomfortable after doing nothing but sitting for two hours. "I asked Ella to be my girlfriend. And I gave her a key to my apartment," he announced in an attempt to break the silence.

David just smiled.

"You're not going to say anything?" Colby was distraught, he needed his work partner to weigh in on his non work partner.

David continued to just sit, smile and chew his gum.

"Seriously? You are just going to sit there? I'm spilling my guts here."

"I'm really happy for you," David responded looking at his partner. "Ella is a great girl."

"Thanks!" Colby responded he was happy of David's response. "You should find someone, we could double date."

David looked through his binoculars and spoke, "Are you going to become one of those people who tries to set everybody up because you are so happy?"

Colby shifted in his seat in an attempt to get comfortable.

"You okay?" David asked it wasn't everyday his partner took one in the vest.

Colby nodded.

David cracked a cold pack and handed it to Colby. Following this David and Colby continued their surveillance without words.

#N#

Ella sat in the surveillance van with a smile on her face, a cup of coffee at her side and her keypad on her lap. Jeff had prioritized to help with Don and Ian's hired killer case. She had already transcribed about four hours of conversation from people in Charlie's target zone. Ella did not noticed Ian and her brother standing in the back of the vehicle when she became looking intently at one of the video screens.

"What is she doing?" Ian asked as he watched Ella grab a piece of loose paper and start scribbling across of it with her other hand moving rapidly.

Don usually saw the facial expression on Charlie but on Ella it was similar. "I think that is the Eppes 'EUREKA' face," Don explained as he watched Ella. Don did not want to disturb the process so he grabbed a chair and waited until Ella was finished.

After about a half hour Ella turned around and found her brother sitting three feet away from her. "How long have you been sitting there?" she asked quickly.

"Half hour, you looked like you were on a roll."

"I am!" Ella exclaimed pointing to the video screen. "He...he..."

Don had also seen the next expression except this was Ella's expression and it did not intermingle among the family. The expression was that of frustration when Ella was excited but could not think of the words as she was so used to talking in sign language. "Sign it, I'll translate."

Ella's hands began to fly with excitement. However when she saw her brothers eyes pop out of his head she figured she should slow down for his benefit.

"This man," Don translated while Ella signed, she paused briefly at an individual standing at a corner reading a paper. "He is trying to make it look like he is waiting for someone but he's not. He's not reading the paper, he's lip reading!" Don stopped and looked at his sister. "El I think I signed wrong. He's lip reading?" Don signed and spoke to fully double check.

Ella nodded enthusiastically.

"How do you know?" Don wanted to be supportive of his sister but at the same time her lip reading super power had to have some limitations.

"Ty Nicolson," Ella blurted out.

"Ty Nicolson your ex-boyfriend?" Don asked with confusion he thought his sister was losing it.

Ella took her two fingers and ran them in front of her lips then she made her eyes wide hoping that Don would get the point.

"Ty used to lip read before you started speaking regularly." Don remembered how much Charlie liked it when Ella was dating Ty because at the time Ella refused to speak. Ella was sixteen, head strong and deeply rooted in the deaf community. Ty was on the fence and later became more progressive urging Ella to speak. Ella broke up with him after differences in opinion when it came to not speaking to Charlie. Don remembered that even though Ella could read lips from the time that she was ten, by sixteen she was an expert, she used to never look at Charlie when he spoke. When Ty was around and Charlie was talking she used to look at J instead of Charlie. Don turned to Ian. "She used to watch Ty when he talked."

Ella spoke finally. "He is trying to be subtle about it but he defiantly knows what he is doing."

Ian looked at Don with something similar to the Eppes 'EUREKA' face. "This is our work target area. All we need is to plant an agent and get them to talk about the target."

"Yeah," Don agreed. "Ella can observe from here and see if he reads it."

#N#

Ella observed the planting of the hook to the assassin. Don brought her lunch and once the target left the area the other surveillance techs took over. Ella, who couldn't drive to the target area, picked up a cup of coffee and then headed towards the subway. She was looking forward to having a nice dinner with Colby which would probably be take-out at the FBI or if he was too busy she would be crawling into bed for a good night sleep. Ella was engrossed in her latte when she tripped over a ledge spilling her drink and landing her hands on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Ella didn't hear anything because she was looking down. "Are you okay?" the voice asked again while Ella picked herself up.

"I'm fine thank-you," Ella said trying not to panic when she noticed that the person concerned for her wellbeing was the possible assassin.

[I'm glad] the assassin signed to Ella.

Ella decided that she was either going to get shot on the spot or this was the biggest coincidence in the world. Ella really didn't want to get shot so she decided it was a coincidence. [I'm Anna], Ella signed brushing her hands off on her pants.

[Mark]. The assassin smiled while he signed. [Are you going east or west?]. Ella pointed to the east direction, away from her apartment, away from the FBI building. [Me too.] The subway stopped on the platform and Mark held his hand out and allowed Ella to walk into the subway car first. Ella walked on and sat down, Mark sat down across the aisle from her and smiled.

Ella tried not to panic totally. She figured that there was no way that she could get a message to anyone without 'Mark' noticing. Also, she was in a subway tunnel, so no reception to start with. Then it came to her, sitting at the bottom of her pocket was the key that Colby had given her and they were heading right in that direction.

[Going home?]

Ella nodded.

[What do you do?]

Ella signed, [I do data entry]. Ella was thoroughly impressed with Mark's ability to sign, it was flawless to the point that she wondered if he too was deaf so she decided to ask him if this was the case. [Are you deaf?]

[No, my parents were.] Mark went into a long history about being raised in a deaf household. He told Ella that he had two brothers that were also deaf and that he always felt left out because he could hear and had to go to a regular school.

It was strange but Ella felt very comfortable with him she had to keep reminding herself that this was not normal. Finally Ella reached the stop closest to Colby's apartment, she signed [my stop] and got off the train.

Mark followed and signed [may I walk you home?]

Ella nodded and Mark followed her all the way to the front of Colby's building. [It was very nice to meet you Mark.]

[You as well,] Mark paused and started to sign again. [Would you maybe like to get a cup of coffee with me?]

Ella nodded and pulled out her PDA and opened it to the address book and then passed it to Mark who typed his number in. Before Ella walked into the foyer she signed, [I'll call you,] and then headed up stairs. The second Ella opened the door to Colby's apartment and saw her boyfriend standing in the kitchen she began shouting "CALL DON!" Ella was very impressed in her ability to remain calm for the entire duration of the incident with Mark but now she was freaking out. She paused only briefly and shouted, "CALL IAN TOO."

Colby knew not to freak out just because Ella was and the fact that Ella had asked for Ian as well made him figure it was all case related. Colby didn't question Ella, he just called Don, told him to bring Ian and scooped out some mint chocolate chip ice cream and then handed it to Ella. Colby ate ice cream in silence with Ella until there was a knock on the door.

"Hey, what happened?" Don asked barely stopping at the threshold he stopped when he came to Ella on the couch with a bowl in her lap. Don's hands began to fly and then Ella's followed.

"What do we do?" Ian asked as Don and Ella's hands moved quickly.

"It's like when Charlie starts into one of his math lectures. Just wait till they finish and they give you the punch line," Colby explained taking a seat.

Ella and Don finished. Don kissed Ella on the forehead and moved allowing Colby to sit down next to his sister. "Ella ran into our assassin on the subway. He can sign, she has his phone number."

"Perfect, set it up," Ian said plainly.

"NO!" Colby and Don both yelled at the same time.

Ella looked at Ian ignoring both her brother and Colby. "I could text him right now but I think I should make him wait a little."

"NO!" Don yelled again. There was really no point for Don to yell at Ella but it got the point that Don did not want his sister involved to Ian.

Ella's hands began to fly at her brother.

Colby stood up and walked away from Ella towards Ian. "They are going to be a while. You want a cup of coffee."

Ian followed Colby into the kitchen. The two had a cup of coffee and then returned to the living room where Ella was passing Don her phone. "Did you come to an agreement?" Ian asked.

"Ella's going to do it," Don said.

"LIKE HELL SHE IS!" Colby yelled.

Ella grabbed Colby's hand and dragged him into the back bedroom. Don look at Ian "This may be a while...where is that coffee?"

"Ican'tbelieveyouwoulddothistome!!!?Youmademefeelsosmall,sohelpless.I'!"

Colby knew Ella was yelling at him but he had no idea what she was saying. [Slow down] he signed moving his lips but not actually speaking.

Ella paused and took a breath. [Angry] she sighed and playfully punched Colby in the shoulder.

[I'm sorry. Please forgive me] Colby responded taking hold of Ella's hand and leading her into the bedroom.

Ella stopped and looked up at Colby with tears in her eyes. "I want to be normal."

Colby stroked Ella's cheek. "You are perfect. Normal is boring." Colby sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Ella down towards him until they were lying facing each other. "But I don't want you to be hurt."

"You really think my brother would let me do this if it wasn't safe?"

Colby had to admit, Ella had a point, there was no way that Don would ever put Ella in danger. Don had faith in Ella's ability and Colby, as Ella's boyfriend, needed to have faith in her as well. Colby kissed her.

"Thank you," Ella said placing her head on Colby's shoulder. "By the way, good signing." Ella was really impressed with Colby's ability to pick up on so many signs it must have been all he did in his spare time.

#N#

Ella stood in the conference room on Don's floor of the FBI getting set up to send a text to Mark. Don sat on the edge of his desk outside watching Megan help Ella get set up while Jeff paced back and forth. "This is a bad idea," Jeff finally blurted out. "I can't believe that YOU are letting her do this!" Jeff loved Ella like a sister and he felt that Don was being irresponsible with his own sister's life.

"I'm not thrilled with this either," Don said looking away from Ella. "But it is our best shot. Ian will have a shot at all times. They'll meet in a public area and seriously you think that if I said no she would listen to me." Don knew that Jeff was the one person outside of his family that would understand how headstrong Ella could be.

Ella was ready and walked out into the bull pen looking completely calm.

"You ready?" Don asked.

A tech followed Ella from the conference room. "You forgot your ear piece," the tech said from behind her.

Don and Jeff both laughed at the poor tech who obviously thought Ella was just ignoring him. "What's funny?" Ella asked.

Don walked behind Ella and grabbed the ear piece. "You forgot this."

Ella rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yeah that's really going to help."

"No but this will," Ian said entering the bullpen holding a watch which he placed on Ella's wrist. "There is a vibration on the back of the face. If you feel it once I need you to move. If it goes off constantly then you need to hit the ground. Pressing any of the buttons will send a panic signal."

"All that AND it tells time. I am one lucky girl." Ella having only just met Ian had really taking a liking to him and she was very grateful that he was watching her back. Ella was doing her best not to appear nervous for her first and most likely only solo undercover mission. She figured that Mark would just interpret her nervousness as a general one as this would be their first date but she felt that everyone, her boss, brother and boyfriend especially was watching her closely for any sign that she should not undertake this outing. Ella's cell phone buzzed in her jeans pocket. "Ooo, looks like I have a date with a homicidal maniac," she said looking over at her boyfriend. "Jealous?"

Colby leaned in and kissed Ella on the cheek. It was a breach of professionalism but he really didn't care. "Try not to have too much fun. Be safe."

Ella nodded. She and Don headed downstairs then walked to the subway. The meet was in a large urban plaza outdoor cafe. Don was going to trail her there. Ian would be set up to watch from afar through a rifle scope and about a dozen more agents would be undercover on scene. Don's boss took a ton of convincing to get approval for the op. Like Jeff the director of the FBI was not keen on putting a surveillance tech, and a deaf one at that, in an undercover mission with a professional assassin with an impressive body count. Don ended up selling the director on the idea the same way that Ella had with Colby; Don would not allow his sister to do it if he thought for a second that they would be unsuccessful. Also they were still unsure if he was the assassin, maybe he just liked reading lips in public. One thing was sure they needed more information and Ella was the best way to get it.

Ella played solitaire on her PDA while on the subway. She knew that even looking in her brother's direction could blow the whole op. At this moment Don was just another stranger on the subway. She got off and headed above ground, she was early by about fifteen minutes allowing Ella to pick the table most out in the open and faced towards the direction where she knew Agent Edgerton would be situated. Being early also allowed her to calm herself and prepare for her 'date'.

Mark arrived right on time. [I'm glad you called]. He sat down and handed Ella a pink daisy.

[It isn't every day you meet a cute boy that can sign too].

From far away Don was watching through binoculars with Ian. "What is she signing?" Ian asked with curiosity.

"She's flirting with him, not doing a half bad job either." Don wasn't used to being on Ella's side of things. Watching from a distance was not easy for him. "Now she's lying about her fake family; she has a sister who is at NYU for business, a brother who works in the city and both her parents live in Seattle. Mark says he works for a road construction company, he's in LA bidding on a contract."

The date lasted through a cup of coffee each, a shared piece of pie and not a single word. When it was finished Ella made plans to meet Mark for dinner the following night and the two parted ways. Ella got back onto the subway with Don close behind and Colby along with David trailed Mark. Colby did not notice until he passed by his favourite pizza shop that Mark was headed into his neighbourhood, which was nowhere near the target zone. He and David both got increasingly nervous when they watched Mark watch Ella return to 'her' apartment. Colby was quickly on the phone, "Don, we have a problem."

#N#

Ella sat in the conference room while Don, Jeff and Colby paced back and worth. Ian sat across the table from her calmly slicing an apple with his knife and then consuming the cut offs. Ella had gotten tired of following the other three around the room with her eyes hoping to speak so she laid her head down on the table and said, "When you three are done being neurotic wake me up."

Mark had sat outside of Colby/Anna's apartment for about a half hour and then left and headed back to the imaginary hit's target zones that Charlie had predicted. Megan and David were currently tailing him with the aid of the surveillance team.

Ella felt a few bodies drop into chairs and a few hands hit the table. She lifted her head up and to the left where she found her brother sitting. "So he's a bit of a nutbar. He's not the first and he won't be the last."

"Ella he followed you home." Don didn't think he could stress enough how that small action sent a chill up his spine.

"If he's our guy he's a professional. I don't think so highly of myself that I could distract from the man's job of killing people." Ella didn't want to tell her brother she had an uneasy feeling it her gut that did not seem to want to go away. "This whole op is a long shot. We all knew that going in."

[I'm worried about you] Don signed. Signing always made Don feel closer to Ella and he really wanted to drive the point home that he was not okay with the risks she was taking.

"Okay. You all," Ella pointed around the room. "Need to come up with a plan. I am going surfing." Ella looked at her brother who was about to speak. "I will not go alone seeing as I have a creepy stalker. Colby will watch from a distance and not surf as he is still hurt from taking a bullet for me."

Don shrugged. "Stay out of the target zones, okay?"

Ella nodded and kissed her brother on the cheek. "I'll be back this evening, I'll bring dinner."

#N#

Colby watched Ella get tossed by a wave and then reverted his attention back to the surrounding area. He found it difficult to watch the other people and not Ella. It was late afternoon and there weren't too many people hanging around. Only twelve surfers in the water and a few more on the beach, Colby stayed in his car and watched. Every time Ella got tossed Colby was amazed by the lack of time it took Ella to recover. It was almost like Ella's personality in life; even when she was knocked down she got up right away. After an hour Ella pulled her board onto the sandy beach and lay down on top of it. She threw a towel over her wetsuit and then dozed off. Now Colby was having serious trouble watching the people on the beach and not his girlfriend, she looked totally at peace. Some days Colby wished for nothing but silence. To live in a world without noise must be calming at times.

Another hour passed and Ella woke up. She stripped her wet suit off and threw a t-shirt and shorts over her bathing suit. She drove back to Colby's, changed and then took the subway to get take out before heading to the FBI. Colby was never too far behind and he detected no one following him. Ella entered the FBI and signed to her brother making him laugh. "Colby Ella thinks you are going to get tired of looking at her butt from a distance."

Colby smiled but did not respond.

"Have we got a plan?" Ella said plunking down into a chair.

"Well we are getting short on time so what we are planning is setting a trap," Ian stated. The plan was Ian's idea and in normal circumstances he knew Don would be all in but as it was Don's little sister in harm's way.

Ella sat down into a chair. "I'm the bait?" she asked.

"The target is your brother. You'll invite Mark to your apartment and we will have pictures around of you and the target. Our hope is that it will force Mark's hand." Ian handed Ella the pictures he already had made up by taking Don out and putting the target in.

Ella shrugged. "Good plan. I've never had trouble getting a guy..." Ella thought about her audience and decided to quit while she was a head. "Tomorrow night. I may have to girlie up Colby's apartment a little." Ella wanted to be okay, she wanted to be tough and get the guy. "Let's do it."

#N#

Ella stood in Colby's apartment at gun point with Mark yelling at her. She was doing her best to read his lips. "Call your brother!" Mark yelled clearly at her. Up until the point that she had a gun shoved in her face Mark was a perfect gentleman. They had a fancy dinner out. He and Ella discussed the differences from the hearing world and the deaf world and the pros and cons to each. After dinner they went for a walk on the beach. It was then that Ella invited Mark back to her apartment for a drink. Once inside Mark noticed the picture and pulled the gun putting Ella into her current predicament.

Ella nodded and took out her phone and texted her real brother. 'Love you.' She also pressed the panic button on the watch. Within a second the watch began vibrating constantly and Ella hit the ground and stayed there while pieces of glass collapsed onto her. She finally opened her eyes to see Mark on the ground. Ella stood up and made her way away from Mark and stumbled to the front door. Don grabbed Ella and ran her out into the hall and to the other end while Ian moved in with the SWAT team.

Don held Ella close to him until they were out of the way of danger. The he stopped to look at her. Ella had glass in her hair and cuts on her back. "I'm okay. I'm okay," Ella said holding her arms around her brother.

"You're cut." Don could see glass shards in Ella's back and was going his best not to touch her in those areas. Ian had taken his shot through the window from across the street and because Ella was already on the ground a lot of glass ended up on top of her.

"I'm fine. Is he? Is he?" Ella instead started to sign. [Is he dead?]

"No, Ian wanted to take him alive," Don said keeping a close eye on Ella. One of the things Don loved most about his sister was that even though this monster just held her at gun point she still did not want him to be dead. Ian had shot Mark through the upper shoulder of his right arm it was enough to take Mark to the ground and reduce the threat he posed to Ella but it wasn't enough to kill him. "Listen to me Ella, you're in shock and we need to get you looked at. Okay?"

Ella nodded.

Don helped her downstairs and to a waiting ambulance. The paramedics assessed her quickly and determined that she would need to go to the hospital to have some of the glass pieces removed. Ella lay on the gunnery on her stomach to keep her back safe so she did not see that Don had sent Colby until he grabbed onto her hand at the hospital when the doctor started to remove the shards.

"Hi," Ella said quietly.

"Hi," Colby responded moving a piece of hair out of her face. "You did good."

Ella smiled. "I guess we are going to be staying at my place for a little bit." Ella figured it would take a while to get a new window and an even longer while for her to get comfortable being in Colby's apartment.

"Great," Colby rolled his eyes picturing how awkward it would be running into Don in the morning. "You okay?"

"Sleepy," Ella admitted. Ella had not noticed the shot of morphine the doctor had administered prior to removing the glass. Which was a good thing as one of the glass pieces was more than two inches long.

"I've got you." Following Colby's statement Ella fell asleep. When the doctor was done Ella had in total fifty-two stitches all over her back. Colby called Don who drove over and helped Colby place his sister in the back of the FBI SUV. "Man she's tough," Colby commented climbing into the front passenger seat.

"As nails," Don added looking it the rear-view, adjusting it so when he looked back he could see that Ella was okay. "Mark is going to be in surgery for most of the night. I've already gotten Megan and David to head home. Ian will be guarding Mr. Personality at the hospital and the techs say that your house will still be a crime scene for a few more days." Don hated feeling awkward around someone he had worked with for so long. "I know Ella would love to find you beside her in the morning."

Colby smiled. "I think that was the least weird way of putting it boss. Thank-you."

"Don't mention it." Don pulled into the underground parking lot of his building and again helped Colby with Ella. "They really drugged her up didn't they?" Don asked pressing the 'up' button for the elevator. Usually Don took the stairs but since one of them was unconscious it really did not seem like a good plan.

"I think the doctor figured she deserved the rest of the night off." Colby realized for the first time how small Ella was now that she was curled up in his arms. The moment that they got inside of the apartment Don disappeared. Colby didn't blame him, the situation was weird. Colby opened the door to Ella's room and carefully placed her on the bed on her side. He removed her shoes but otherwise left her as she was. He pulled the blanket over her and made sure there was a glass of water beside her bed. Ella's bed was small. Not so small that Colby would not fit given normal circumstances, but Colby worried that he might brush up against Ella's wounds causing her pain and would wake her up. So Colby left the door of Ella's bedroom open, found an extra blanket and pillow and sacked himself out of the couch in the living room just outside of her bed room door. Within moments Colby was also asleep.

Colby wanted a good night sleep and the couch was comfortable enough but he was woken up by a singular scream awoke him. Colby rolled off the couch and landed onto the floor, lucky his head did not hit the coffee table. Finally Colby was able to scramble to his feet and then saw Don running down the hall. "What happened?" Don yelled at Colby.

"I don't know. I was out here." Colby said rubbing his eyes looking into Ella's room where a soft cry was coming from.

Don walked into Ella's room without Colby and in a moment the crying stopped and Colby felt safe to enter without Don shooting him. "She okay?" he asked standing at the door.

Don looked up with his sister cradled next to his chest. "She just had a nightmare."

Colby didn't know that Ella had nightmares or if it was just a result of being taken at gun point and having his apartment window fall on her. "Can I?" Colby motioned into the inside of the room wanting to know if he could come in.

"Yeah," Don said with a slight smile.

Colby came in and sat on the other side of Ella and placed his hand on her face. "El?" Colby asked when Ella looked at him with vacant eyes.

"I'm okay, just a bad dream." Ella reached out and took Colby's hand into hers. "I'm good Don. Go back to bed."

Don patted Ella's head and allowed Colby to move into his position and headed back to his bedroom. Don knew that he wanted to stay but he also knew that Ella could deal with her own trauma in her own way and now that way included Colby. Don also found it slightly humorous that Colby was sleeping on the couch.

Ella looked up at Colby, "You must think I am such a head case."

"I think you had a big day and you got hurt and drugged up," Colby replied. He lay down with Ella so they were facing each other. "You are super tough and one nightmare really isn't going to change my mind."

Ella smiled and let a tear fall.

"Does your back hurt?"

"Not really," Ella said as she took an extra long blink now that the adrenaline had worn off. "I feel like such a baby. Having nightmares, needing you and my brother to take care of me. I want to be able to take care of myself."

Colby sat up slightly and stroked Ella's hair. "When I got back from Afghanistan I didn't sleep for weeks and when I did I used to wake up screaming. I had to remove all the furniture in my room and sleep a mattress on the floor so that I didn't wreck anything or hurt myself. I still have the occasional nightmare and I can't take pills to sleep because of the job."

Ella looked at Colby. "Really?"

"Yeah, I go to a support group once a month for veterans and I'm getting better." Colby kissed Ella on the lips. "There is no shame in needing a little help once in a while."

"Can you stay?" Ella asked.

"Nowhere else I'd rather be."

#N#

Colby carefully separated himself from Ella in the morning. He heard Don in the kitchen and figured he was going to need a big cup of coffee to start his day. "Hey," he said to Don rubbing the top of his head trying to straighten out his hair.

Don laughed and poured a cup of coffee for Colby. "Was she okay for the rest of the night?"

Colby nodded. "She have nightmares before?"

"One before since she lived with me," Don said taking a sip of his own cup of coffee. "I'm trying to figure out if it's the job stress or something from before." Don remember the day that Ella C. him on at email to Jeff Brooks inquiring if she could take a job in LA. It was sudden and although he was so happy at the time he didn't question it but now he wondered a little what had caused the sudden shift.

"You think..." Colby didn't have a chance to finish his thought as Ella appeared from her bedroom. [How are you?] Colby signed to Ella.

"Fine," Ella responded walking into the kitchen leaning over the counter. "Don can you call Jeff and see if I can have the day off?" Ella found it easer sometimes to just have someone who could hear call for her so that it was not an endless stream of back and forth text messages.

Don nodded and took the cell phone off the cradle. "You want the week off? I can negotiate."

"See what you can do," Ella said walking into the living room then lied stomach down on the couch. "Can I have another painkiller? Please."

Colby grabbed a glass from the cupboard and took a pill out of the bottle on the table and took it to Ella. "I don't have to call my boss. You want me to see if he'll give me the day off?" Colby wanted to stay with Ella forever.

"I'm just going to sleep today. Very boring, you have an assassin to interrogate." Ella popped the pill into her mouth and then settled down on the couch.

Colby covered Ella with a blanket and kissed her. "I'll see you tonight."

#N#

"How is our boy?" Don asked Ian walking into the FBI bull pen.

"Through and through to the shoulder, he's in the interrogation room. How is your sister?" Ian asked. Ian had been exceptionally impressed with Ella conduct under fire, and Ian was not one to be so easily impressed.

"She's fine," Don said sitting down at his desk rubbing his eyes.

"You sure about that?" Ian asked noticing Don's tone.

"She had a nightmare," Don replied shaking his head. "She's taking the week to rest."

"Probably a good plan." Ian took a sip of his coffee. "If I don't end up seeing her before I leave please tell her I owe her a beer and if she ever wants to take her show on the road I'd love to have her." When Ian showed up in LA he thought the last person to blow his case wide open was going to be the deaf girl planting daises in the Eppes' front yard.

"You really think we are going to wrap this up nice and neat that quickly?" Don asked. In Don's recent experience a quick math lesson and forty minutes never really solved anything.

Ian nodded with confidence. Besides the part where he put Ella in danger the case had been a cake walk in a life that was never simple. "How do you want to play this with our good friend Marky Mark?"

"Tag team?"

"Sounds good," Ian said standing up and started walking to the interrogation room. "So Granger and your sister?" Ian had seen the way that Colby looked at Ella, he was like a little lost puppy dog.

"That is what you want to talk about on our way to interrogate a hired killer?" Don knew that Ian liked to joke before going into a serious situation.

"Got to talk about something, she could do worse." In opened the door allowing Don to enter first. Don stood across from Mark while Ian walked up to the table where Mark had his head down and slammed his hand onto it. Mark looked up calmly at Don and then at Ian. He paused and then signed with his hands. Ian looked over at Don for a translation.

"He says he'll only talk to the blond girl." Don explained with a sigh.


End file.
